1912 Present meet Past UNDER CONSTRUCTION
by Slytherin-Goddess214
Summary: They have two choices, Survive together or Drown alone...What happens when a fight that shouldn't have occurred, throws Draco and Hermione, almost a century into the past. Will they help each other survive or will they face death before they can return to their own time. Dramione *UNDER CONSTRUCTION*
1. Chapter 1 Heirloom

**10/18/2019 UPDATE- STORY IS UNDERGOING CONSTRUCTION AT THE MOMENT BETWEEN MYSELF AND MY BETA. EACH CHAPTER IS GETTING A BRAND NEW MAKEOVER! STORY LINE WILL STAY THE SAME BUT MORE DETAILS AND MINOR CHANGES WILL OCCUR. NO SET DATE AS TO WHEN THE NEW CHAPTERS WILL BE POSTED AS I AM ALSO CURRENTLY WORKING ON ANOTHER TIME TRAVEL STORY AT THE PRESENT TIME. HOWEVER, EVERY 10 CHAPTERS EDITED WILL BE POSTED ALONG WITH A STAR IN THE CHAPTER HEADING! THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE AND WAITING WELL OVER A YEAR FOR ME TO FINALLY REVAMP THIS FIC. PLEASE CHECK OUT MY PROFILE IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS STORY. THANK YOU :)**

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 ** ** ****Credit to KrystalHearts2 on Wattpad for the AMAZING cover photo!******

Chapter 1- Heirloom

Friday, April 6, 2001 05:30pm

Draco had no idea why he decided to come to Malfoy Manor this evening. He was perfectly capable of getting ready at his own flat in East London. He, however, was never one to say no to his mother. Malfoy manor had been redecorated since the death of the Dark Lord and, thanks to his mother, it no longer felt like a mausoleum anymore. But it still wasn't home.

He had stopped pacing the large childhood bedroom long enough to straighten the lapels of his black suit. As he adjusted the white collar, he noticed one of the house elves had left a spot on his black leather loafers. It was just one more annoyance to add to his already perfect day.

He had currently spent the past 10 minutes trying to tie the black silk tie around his neck. It was a gift from his mother finely made with designs woven into the seemingly simple tie. He was anxious, yet excited. Today was the day he was taking over Malfoy Empire. Today was the day his father stepped down as head of house and Draco was to step up and assume his birthright. It would also mark the first steps he would take in order to prove himself to the world, his family, and himself. Tonight, the Malfoy family would be throwing a huge charity ball that would celebrate the occasion. The party would be held in their oldest family estate in Southampton. In less than an hours' time, Draco would arrive fashionably late, possibly just late if he couldn't charm his blasted tie.

To throw a charity ball was never something Draco would have expected from his father. Then again Draco's' family had changed after the war. Everyone had. Lucius Malfoy had been trying for the past four years to repair the family name. His father had become rather charitable after escaping the Dark Lord. The amount of events held the past year alone made Draco's head spin.

Tonight's charity event was no exception. The Dark Lord himself would be turning in his grave if he knew of the newest scholarships for Muggle-born witches and wizards. There would be eight honorees this year; it was twice the number as the year before. Draco had doubted his father's sincerity thinking it was another one of his schemes. But his father had thrown himself into that project for the last three years, shocking the community and his family alike.

Draco felt his mother's watchful eye as he continued to pace in front of the bed he used to sleep in as a teen. The bedroom was very large, large enough to fit all of the Slytherin dorm in it. The king size bed—with a green comforter, black silk sheets, and too many pillows to count—sat in the middle of the room against the wall. It had remained untouched since his time at Hogwarts. There was a night stand on either side of the bed both under huge cathedral like windows that over looked the garden.

His mother was sitting in a black arm chair closest to the stand on the right. He had always known his mother to wear the latest fashion. She had out done herself, once again, and wore a long, dark green gown this year. It had a small train in the back with long laced sleeves down both arms. The outfit was complimented with black heels and a small diamond bracelet. Her blonde hair was place up in a tight elegant bun.

"Would you stop pacing and sit down please? You are making me nervous." Narcissa pleaded

"You're nervous?" Replied Draco, "What about me? I'm the one whose face is all over the place and in the papers." He picked up the Daily Prophet and waved it in the air abandoning his half done tie. "I am the one whose about to get up in front of hundreds of people, give a speech, and tell the world of my engagement. What if I mess up? What if I make a fool of myself, what if...? Oh bloody hell!" He froze in front of his mother looking her dead in the eye. He thought about admitting the fear of his arranged marriage, but decided better of it. He wouldn't, couldn't, let anyone, not even his mother knew how terrified he was—and he already spoken too much.

"Oh for Salazar-sake, Draco watch your language! Would you please calm down? You'll do wonderful!" she exclaimed with enthusiasm. "You are a Malfoy after all and Malfoy's do not panic. We take things with poise. We never show our-"

"Emotions," He cut her off. "Yeah, I got that. That doesn't mean I can't have a minor freak out in my own bedroom! There is no one here but you! It seems like I still have all my decisions made for me. No room to let myself breathe." He stated rather harshly.

He sat on the end of the bed and put his face in his hands rubbing the heels of his palms against his eyes. He took multiple deep breaths, letting them out slowly to calm himself down.

He couldn't see her but he knew she was looking at him with sadness. He could hear her sigh as she stood up, so he removed his hand from his face and slid his fingers through his blonde hair. He looked at her while she placed the folded shirt on the chair she was sitting in. With her hands in front of her, she started to walk over.

He knew this event was important to his family but he could see the guilt plainly on his mother's features. He knew the struggles his parents went through to try and redeem themselves of their past. Nothing they did seemed to be enough to rectify the horrors the war brought. They had forced their only son into an arranged marriage with the Greengrass family in order to raise their status in the sacred twenty- eight circle. He knew it was for the best as his father could no longer keep up with the business anymore. Too much time away, war, and prison, was enough to make any person want to retire. Draco reluctantly agreed to marry the youngest daughter, Astoria, in June after his 21st birthday for the sake of his father, but that didn't stop him from feeling cheated about the arrangement.

His mother placed a hand on his chin and lifted it. She stared into his defeated grey eyes and spoke calmly.

"I know this is hard for you Draco. I know because I have been there. I don't expect you to not feel like your choices have been ripped away. I know they have." She sighed as she continued to speak in her usual motherly voice "I am truly sorry for putting all this on you. You deserve to fall in love on you own time and in your own way... but I do feel that the Greengrass girl is a good match and that you can learn to be happy with her. You just have to give her a chance."

Draco looked at his mother with anger.

"A chance mother? I don't even know the girl! She was two years below me at Hogwarts. We never crossed paths until now. How do you expect me to get up on that stage, make a big speech about these new scholarships, and introduce her to the world as my fiancée if I don't even know her? And let's not even start on how she doesn't know a thing about me either! I-"

"Draco," his mother interrupted firmly, "like I said I know how you feel. I was in the same position as you when I was engaged to your father. It wasn't easy at first but I got to know him and grew to love him over time and in doing so, I had you. You are my pride and joy and I know for a fact once you have children of your own someday, you will understand what I am talking about."

Narcissa pulled out her wand and pointed it at Draco's tie. She did a non-verbal spell, fixing it as she continued.

"I am so proud of you and the things you are doing for this family. Life, I know, has its ups and down, but you will see this as a good thing down the line. I promise you...Now," she patted his finished tie with her hand "we better get going or we will be late."

She turned away and started for the door. Before she reached it, a knock was heard. The door swung open slowly, allowing Lucius to walk in. His long blonde hair was pulled back into a low ponytail. He had on a black suit similar to Draco's but with a tie to match his wife's dress. In his hand, was a small black box.

"Ah! There he is, the man of the hour!" Lucius said, almost little too cheerfully.

"Here I am." said Draco sarcastically as he looked up at his father. He ran his hands through his blonde hair and stood up from the bed letting out a large breath. "Is it time?"

Lucius sharply turned towards his son, mouth opening as though he was about to say something regarding Draco's attitude when Narcissa came up and nudged him slightly with her elbow. Draco knew that was his mother's way of saying 'just let it go'. His father seemed to have understood and placed a, slightly forced, smile on his face.

"Yes, it's time son, but I was wondering if I could speak to you alone for a moment?" Lucius asked with hint of sadness.

Draco looked at his father with some doubt before rolling his eyes and nodding his head yes. He watched his mother turn on her heels giving him one last, soft, encouraging smile before softly closing the bedroom door. He crossed his arms in front of his chest and waited.

"Look son..." Lucius hesitated for a moment "I...I know I haven't been the best father to you. In fact, I know I have been a terrible father to you. I tried so hard to please the Dark Lord that I threw you, against your will, into a life you should never have been in. I want to...I want to apologize for that."

Draco's anger turned to shock so quick it made him dizzy. He has never known his father to willingly apologize for anything, or to anyone except the Dark Lord. His best way of apologizing for his deeds was funding events. This was a side of Lucius he had never seen. With a raised eyebrow he continued to listen.

"I know it will take a long time for you to trust me again. And before you say anything, I know I won't expect your forgiveness anytime soon and I am okay with that. But I would like to be the father you deserve. I... I want you to have this." Lucius held out the black box he was holding to Draco. "It's tradition for the previous head to pass down an heirloom to the next in line before they are set to take over. Go on, take it."

Draco looked at the box. It was a decent size. Not like the size of the small box he got on his 11th birthday that held the Malfoy family ring which every male in the house hold was to receive on their 11th birthday. No, this box was different. He really hoped it wasn't a necklace, the bloody death traps. Then again, the box was too small for that.

Draco eyed the box in his father's hand. He unfolded his arms, reached out, slowly taking it. With an eyebrow still raised he lifted the connected lid up to see what was inside. He let out a breath of relief he didn't know he was holding. It was a watch. A very nice- looking watch actually. The band was black leather and it had a black square face with a silver border. The only numbers readable were 12, 3, 6, and 9. The rest were small notch like lines to make up for the missing numbers. There was a good size red stone that stuck out some from the glass and was placed just above the 6. He couldn't recognize the stone but thought that all-in-all it was a simple, yet expensive, gift. He couldn't see how it was an heirloom though considering the watch looked brand new. But before he could ask, his father spoke again.

"The red stone has been passed down for generations going back over centuries. No one really knows its significance but it was always placed in an accessory of some sort for the wearer to keep on them at all times. Usually in a bracelet or ring," Lucius explained, "But seeing as you already have a ring, I decided to keep up with the times and put it in a watch. It has come to be a token of good luck. I hope you will wear it with pride." He concluded.

"I...I don't really know what to say...Thank you." Draco looked at his father. Lucius had a smile on his face. He couldn't recall ever seeing his father smile at him. It was contagious though and Draco couldn't help but half smile back. It was the first genuine smile he's had in a long while. For so long he felt like he had no place in the world. But today felt like a day for new changes. His father had apologized to him; Salazar knows that must have taken a lot for him to do and he felt like he had his family back. Not completely, but it was a start.

He placed the watch on his left wrist, fixed his jacket and stood tall. He could do this, he told himself. He just had to get through this event and everything else would work its self out.

X

Friday, April 6th, 2001 05:45pm

Hermione stood in front of the mirror, at 12 Grimmauld Place. She was staying there for a while until she found a flat of her own. She couldn't bring herself to burden her parents for a place to live so she settled for Harry's house, as Harry had offered. Well more like Ginny insisted he ask until she said yes.

She glanced over the long, VERY tight, strapless, red evening gown Ginny had made her buy for the upcoming charity event hosted by the Malfoy's tonight. It is, as they call it, the event of the season. Every pure-blood, half-blood, and muggle-born in England was invited. The invitation noted that there was a special sponsorship to give away to a great selection of muggle-borns that will help them pay for all their school supplies as long as they kept their grades up. They don't even have to attend Hogwarts to qualify. They can attend any number of magical schools they so desire.

She wasn't thrilled, to say the least, that it was the Malfoy's hosting it. They may have changed after the war but she still thought they kept some of their prejudices alive. And a certain blonde Slytherin was still her enemy. However, it's not every day pure-bloods, so high up, host a ball in the honor of muggle-borns. This was something she felt she had to attend.

As Hermione finished looking over herself and blew at the piece of hair dangling in front of her face, she heard a knock at the bedroom door.

"Just a second." She chimed

She smoothed out her dress and finished charming her hair into a delicate low messy bun. She left a few strands hanging out to make her look elegant. She added some light make up to finish and took a deep breath. She let it out and took one last look at herself.

"Come in." she called out

The door slowly opened revealing the very dashing black haired Harry Potter. Being a war hero had definitely had its perks. He had grown about two inches since the Battle of Hogwarts and had some muscles only a war could provide. He still wore his famous black rimmed glasses and had the same soft green eyes of his mother.

She looked at him through the mirror as he entered. He was wearing a very expensive looking black suit and royal blue tie. She didn't recognize the outfit but assumed Ginny made him buy it for the ball tonight. Hermione knew Harry wasn't all about money. He had his own still from his parents and Sirius Black. He was also a well-paid auror, but the Minister of Magic insisted the golden trio was to receive half a million Gallons each for the parts they served saving the wizarding world. Harry and Ginny donated half of their money to orphanages and used the other half to pay for their dream wedding that was held last October. She of course was the maid of honor and Ronald Weasley was the best man.

"Wow! Hermione you look wonderful. I feel under dressed now." He joked.

She crossed her arms in front of her "Oh very funny Harry, you look wonderful too. And thank you... for the compliment. Although I feel the dress is a little much. I'm not used to wearing something like this." She looked down at the dress. "This is more Ginny's style than mine."

"Did I hear my name?" Hermione looked at the door way behind Harry and saw Ginny peeking around the frame. Her dark red locks tucked neatly into a side ponytail that lay on her right shoulder. "Oh Hermione!" she sighed stepping around the corner and into the spare bedroom, her hands, over her chest, giving off an 'I'm so proud of you' look.

"Look at you. You look so amazing. Every guy at this ball is going to be drooling over you, including Malfoy." She said cheerfully.

"Ugh" Hermione stated in disgust. "I really hope Malfoy doesn't even look at me. I could do without having my night ruined by him thank you very much."

Harry chuckled as Ginny went to sit on the queen size bed that sat against the wall in the middle of the room. Hermione decided it was as good a time as any to sit at the vanity across from the bed to put on her velvet red heels.

As she was about to slip on the second one, Ginny stood up abruptly and threw her hands in the air as if she was losing an argument with herself. Hermione and Harry both looked at her with confusion written on their faces.

"I just realized you're not wearing any jewelry! We can't have that! I'll be right back!" she claimed and rushed out of the room. Not even a minute later she came bursting back into the room holding two different black velvet size boxes. One was very small and sat on top a little bit larger one. She walked over to the vanity and conjured another chair with her wand to sit down in. The small train on her royal blue evening gown lay across the floor. Hermione noticed the trail of diamond studs that framed the neck line. They followed up the one thick strap that held the dress in place on Ginny's left shoulder. It really was a beautiful dress she thought.

"Here we go" she said excitingly handing over the smallest box first.

Hermione took the box from Ginny's hand and opened it. Inside laid a gorgeous pair of tear drop shaped dangling diamond earrings. The stud part held a simple round diamond in the center with very small diamonds surrounding it. The tear drop diamond hung a little lower than the stud and gave the earrings a rich elegant look.

"Ginny, these are gorgeous!" she exclaimed, "Where did you get them...wait... I can't possibly wear these. They must cost a fortune."

"Oh hush now. You are. I got them for you to wear tonight. Just know that you're not getting anything from me for you birthday this year though." Ginny giggled as she waved her hand like the gift was no big deal.

Seeing it as a very early birthday present made Hermione feel a little better about accepting the earrings.

"Thank you Gin. Really, they are perfect" she got up to hug her best girlfriend. When she let go she took out the earrings, set the box on the vanity and started to put them on. Once she was finished she turned around to look at the couple standing behind her with smiles on their faces.

Harry cleared his throat and looked at her.

"Now before we run late to this event I wanted to give you one more thing to wear tonight." He spoke softly as he turned to his wife and took the larger box she was holding. He looked back at her and Hermione could have sworn she saw tears forming in his eyes but he didn't let them fall. She had an idea that this gift had sentimental value to it.

"A few years back when I moved into this house," he started "I found something while Ginny and I were redecorating." He took a step forward closer to Hermione as he spoke. "I know this belongs to the house of Black, as it was hidden in a nook behind that awful painting of Walburga Black. I would be very honored if you would wear it tonight... I... I also think Sirius, rest his soul, would be happy to know someone who is like a sister to me and not pure-blood, would wear it."

He opened the box and pulled out a small antique diamond bracelet. There was a good size red stone that looked centuries old in the middle surrounded by simple white diamonds. Hermione thought the stone looked familiar but couldn't place it. She noted in her head that she would research it more over the weekend.

"I would love to wear it Harry. It's beautiful. Thank you." She let Harry place the bracelet on her left wrist. As he was clasping it Hermione looked at her left forearm. She took in the memory of receiving the branding of the word 'mudblood' into her arm. It faded over time but the letters were still visible enough to read the foul nickname. She took to using a concealing charm whenever she went out. Tonight was no exception. The Potters never questioned her about it either which made her feel good.

She studied the bracelet; Harry finished clasping, with awe. It was definitely a lot prettier up close and she couldn't wait to read some books to find out more about the stone. She lowered her wrist and hugged him with everything she had. She had to him to know how much this gift meant to her. Pulling back from the hug she looked at the happy couple.

Smiling, she asked "Are you ready to go? I don't want to miss anything so we should start heading out."

They both nodded and headed for the door.

' _Tonight is going to be fun!_ ' she thought. She wasn't about to let anything ruin this for her. Not even Draco Malfoy.


	2. Chapter 2-Charity Ball

Chapter 2- Charity Ball

Friday, April 6th, 2001 06:03pm

Draco and his parents apparated in front of the large iron gates which led to the oldest estate in the history of the Malfoy family. Located in Southampton, the estate had been around for centuries dating back to the medieval times. It was renovated in 1349 after the first outbreak of the Black Plague ended. It has stayed the same ever since. There, to the east and west, were connecting towers that gave off the Renaissance feel Draco loved so much. The long pathway that led to the massive castle; that was simply known as 'The Castle'; had charmed floating candles to light the way. It wasn't as big as Hogwarts, but it was definitely up there. The two story French doors in the front already had guests lining up with invitations to enter.

As Draco entered he noticed just how antique the inside really was. The last time he stepped foot into The Castle, he was a child. During that time he didn't really care to appreciate the beauty of the ancient and historical architecture. Making his way to the Great Hall he noticed some famous painting that only the Malfoys owned. Most of them muggle painters like Claude Monet and Jan Vermeer.

He entered the Great Hall, looking around at the hundreds of people already in attendance. The hall was much larger than the one in Hogwarts and it was known to host the most lavish of feasts throughout history.

He spotted Blaise Zabini and Pansy Parkinson chatting away at one of the tables near the front. Draco straightened his tie and walked over to the duo. As he reached them he could already smell the too strong of perfume Pansy was wearing. It burned his nose and had choked him enough to want to turn back. He chose, instead, to muster through and tell his friends hello. But before he could get a word out Pansy saw him. She stopped mid-sentence and leapt onto him. Her long arms wrapping around his neck, pushed his face closer to her. He had to stop a cough that was forming in his throat from the retched perfume stench.

"Drakey-Poo, oh I missed you so much!" she yelled in his ear.

' _Great, this is how I die,'_ he thought. _'Suffocating from that horrid smell I don't even want to try to identify, while being deaf and hugged too tightly. Maybe this is a good thing, maybe it can get me out of this bloody speech?_ '

"Hello Pansy." He put his hands on her waste and calmly pushed her off of him, allowing himself to breathe a little more efficiently. "How are you?"

"I'm great, now that you're here! This party is such a bore. Maybe you can give me a tour of the castle…" she looked around mischievously.

"Alone."

It wasn't so much a question as it was a statement.

"I've been dying to check out a bedroom… or two… with you." She winked and slipped a gloved arm around his neck again and stared into his grey eyes with an aroused look on her face.

Draco was in the need of a good shag. It had been too long. But as tempting as it was to whisk Pansy off to a secluded bedroom, he thought better of it. She did look good in her Slytherin green, spaghetti strapped evening gown. The bust of her chest was showing a little…okay a lot more… than was deemed appropriate. But he had more important things to attend to. He also didn't think he could get it up if he had to smell that bloody perfume any longer than necessary. His eyes were already starting to tear up from being in such a close proximity to it.

"Maybe later" he suggested. "I just got here and-" He started to say, but was interrupted by Blaise and Theo making their way over to him.

"Hey Draco!" Theo said as he peeked around Pansy. "Salazar! What is that horrid smell?" he scrunched his face. "It smells like a burnt hooker that just ate some cherry ice cream… oh hi Pansy."

Pansy let go of Draco's neck and placed her hands on his upper arm. She scowled at Theo but didn't say anything.

Draco had to stifle a laugh as he thought that description was absolutely perfect.

Blaise had a smirk on his face as he leaned over to Theo's ear to whisper something. Draco, standing closest to Blaise, could hear him tell Theo that it was Pansy's perfume. Theo made an 'O' with his mouth in understanding and tried to change the subject.

"Sooooo… how is everyone doing? Good? That's good. I'm doing good. Are you good Blaise?"

"I'm doing well Theo, thank you." Blaise answered. I-" he stopped and seemed to be looking past Draco at the entrance of the hall.

Draco eyed Blaise in confusion. He turned his head to eye the path Blaise was looking in. That's when he saw her. If anyone saw his mouth, gaped open at that moment, they didn't say anything.

' _She looked beautiful in red._ ' He thought.

He shook his head and cursed himself for even thinking such a thing.

 _'How could he possibly think that, Hermione Granger, of all people would look good? Although he had to admit that she had out done herself since the Yule Ball in fourth year_.'

He cursed himself again for thinking like that.

' _Everyone was looking at her now just like they did when she descended those stairs all those years ago_.'

At that thought he felt a little better. He wasn't the only one looking in shock so it was okay.

' _It's not like he likes her or anything. She might not be a mud blood anymore but she was still beneath him and she was still an enemy_.' he concluded his thought, feeling pleased with himself.

"Ugh. Would you just look at her?" Pansy stated in disgust. "Thinking just because this ball is dedicated to mud bloods like her she can just waltz around like she owns the place looking like that! It's no wonder everyone is looking at her. Such…' she paused for a brief moment trying to find the right word.

"Filth." She finished with a scowl on her face.

Draco turned back to his circle of friends. But before he could even agree or disagree to Pansy's statement. Blaise chimed in.

"I happen to think she look good."

Theo nodded his head in agreement.

"Ewe! Gross!" Claimed Pansy with a sour look "I would rather clean up after myself than look at her any longer. How could you possibly think that THAT looks good?"

Draco wanted to retort with a good insult ready to go but instead put on a face of indifference. Deciding it was best to just not say anything as it would start an argument he felt he really didn't need at the moment. He looked at his new watch and changed the subject.

"You guys should find your seats. The announcements should be starting soon and I have to find my parents to meet on the stage."

The group nodded their heads and said goodbye to Draco. Pansy had slipped in a kiss on his cheek. He nodded back before turning on his heels and walked towards the stage that wasn't too far from the table his friends sat at.

X

Friday, April 6th, 2001 06:10pm

Hermione looked in awe at the giant castle that stood before her. She, Harry, and Ginny had only just arrived in front of the massive iron gates. She was a little upset that they were running late but she had no one to blame but herself. She realized right before they were about to disapparate, that she forgot her purse with an undetectable extension charm. She had taken to charming all her handbags, well the two she owned, so that in case of emergency she always had everything she needed. The war might be over but one never knows when they will need something important. Normally she wouldn't care about bringing her small handbag with her but she remembered she placed her wand in it for safe keeping before Harry gave her the bracelet to wear.

As the trio made their way up the lit pathway, Hermione noticed just how much history The Castle had. The stones themselves looked to be over 500 years old. She made a mental note to read more on it when she got home. This weekend will be dedicated to research. It's been awhile since she has been able to research anything remotely interesting. With no more horcrux's to study she went back to Hogwarts for her 8th year. She studied night and day and passed all her N.E.W.T's with straight O's. Since then there wasn't too much else she could study, so she continued to read muggle literature in her spare time.

Hermione walked with the Potter's to the front doors and handed the Usher her invitation. He was a very tall man with dark brown hair slicked back. He looked at the invitation and then handed it back her. Hermione smiled and said 'thank you,' but the man just looked at her and carried on taking the next person in lines invite.

They walked down the long corridor together towards the Great Hall and Hermione thought, out loud, about how beautiful the place was and the art hanging on the walls. She recognized a few artists and wondered how the Malfoys could be so lucky to own one of a kind art from some of the greats. She thought about asking Malfoy about it but thought better of it. The last thing she would want is to have a conversation with that ferret, no matter how much her curiosity nagged at her.

Hermione intertwined her arm in Ginny's as they continued walking in the direction of the hall. She could already hear the live orchestra playing classical music on the other side. Harry stopped next to the girls and turned to look at them once they reached the door.

"Are you ladies ready for this? There are going to be some people here that don't like us and-" he started to say but was cut off by Ginny's squeal of excitement.

The two best friends looked at Ginny with half smiles.

"Yes, Harry. We're ready! Can we go in now? I want to mingle!" Ginny chirped with excitement and impatience.

"Okay then. Let's go in." Harry spoke ask he straightened his suit jacket and took Ginny's free hand.

The two ushers that were standing there watching, walked up to the doors and grab the very long gold handles pulling both doors open simultaneously.

The trio walked through, the now opened doors, and were greeted to the most wonderful sight Hermione had ever seen. The whole hall was decorated in white and gold. There was a large stage that sat in the front of the room with a glass podium. Four very large gold chandeliers hung from the high ceilings making her feel like she was thrown into the Beauty and the Beast novel. Every table had white linen with gold trim around the bottom edge. Even the silverware was gold. She wondered if it was real gold but before she could bring it up to her friends, she noticed how much quieter the room got.

She looked around and noticed people staring at her with mouths open. It made her feel a little self-conscious and she instantly regretted coming to the event. She was about to turn around and run when she felt Ginny lean close to her left ear.

"Don't worry Mione. They are staring because you look great. I told you they would drool over you. Even Malfoy, speaking of which, is looking right at you." Ginny whispered as she pointed her in the direction of the blonde Slytherin.

Hermione snapped her head up to look and sure enough, there he was. Her cheeks flushed like she was caught with her hand in the cookie jar. The tall, pale, blonde was looking right at her. His mouth was open slightly but only for a brief second before it was closed again. He looked to be having a fight with himself as he turned back around to talk to someone she couldn't really see. She did noticed Pansy 'the whore' Parkinson hanging on Malfoys arm with a disgusted look on her face.

"Come on" Ginny chimed "I think I see Neville and Luna over there."

Hermione felt Ginny tug on her arm so she followed. She felt embarrassed at her entrance but decided to let it go as she was about to see her friends. It has been a year since she last saw any of her old classmates and she was excited to catch up with everyone.

Sure enough at one of the tables in the front, were Neville Longbottom and Luna Lovegood. As she approached the table she also noticed Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas starting to stand up.

"Blimey Hermione, you look amazing!" Seamus stated as a matter of fact, walking around the table to hug her. "So do you Ginny! Hi Harry. I guess you look good too." He shrugged his shoulders as he went in for a hug with Ginny.

Harry let out laughed. "Thanks Seamus. I guess you look good too."

Both girls giggled as they replied 'Thank you.'

Dean came up right after Seamus and hugged the two girls.

"Hey! Where's my hug?" Neville questioned jokingly with a huge smile.

"Hello Neville!" Hermione smiled and took two steps forward to hug him "Hello Luna! How are you guys?" she asked as she broke the hug and nodded to Luna.

"Hello Hermione!" Luna smiled sweetly "Neville here is doing well. I however am a little concerned about all the wrackspurts I've been feeling flying around. They love big groups you know, lots of ears to enter."

Hermione tilted her head in confusion as she watched Luna gaze off like she was looking for something on the ceiling. She shook off the strange face she was making let the topic go. She didn't want to have an hour long conversation with Luna about another one of her imaginary creatures.

"Hey where's Ron hiding at?" she heard Dean ask.

Her heart dropped and she froze. Just before anyone could answer she heard Lucius Malfoy's voice surround the hall. She thanked Godric for the distraction. She really wasn't up for trying to awkwardly explain how she and Ron broke up about a year ago.

"If everyone could take their seats please, we will be getting started shortly." Lucius voice boomed from the stage. "We have a few announcements to kick off this wondrous event that will start shortly after dessert is finished. Dinner will appear in front of you in about five minutes. Thank you all for coming today and I do hope you enjoy the rest of your evening." He concluded and walked off the stage.

Hermione took her seat between Ginny and Luna. She took notice of the program sitting on her plate.

 _ **The Malfoy's Muggle-born Charity Ball:**_

 _ **06:30pm- Dinner is served**_

 _ **07:00pm- Dessert is served**_

 _ **07:15pm- Announcement- By Lucius Malfoy**_

 _ **07:45pm- Announcement- By Draco Malfoy**_

 _ **08:00pm- Dancing**_

 _ **10:55pm- Last song is played**_

 _ **11:00pm- Farewell Speech- By Narcissa Malfoy**_

Hermione finished reading the program and set it off to the side of her plate. Just as Lucius mentioned, everyone's dinner magically appeared in front of them. It reminded her of Hogwarts during meal time. She lifted her fork and took a bite of her perfect looking seared salmon. It tasted so fresh in her mouth. She couldn't recall eating something so delicious in her life.

"The Malfoys really out did themselves for this whole ball." She exclaimed.

Everyone at her table nodded their heads in agreement as they dug into their food.

Fifteen minutes later she realized she had to pee, so she excused herself from the table and went to stand up. Pushing her chair back, she didn't realize until it was too late; she felt the chair collide into someone directly behind her.


	3. Chapter 3-When Stones Collide

Chapter 3- When Stones Collide

Friday, April 6th 06:45pm

Draco barely managed to hold himself up as a chair forcefully collided with his hip. He ended up grabbing on to Pansy's arm as she was walking with him to the loo.

"Oh my goodness, I am so sorry!" He heard a female voice say

"WATCH WHERE YOU'RE GOING, YOU FILTHY MUDBLOOD!" Pansy screamed with venom in her voice.

The whole room went quite. You could hear a pin drop in the deathly silence. Draco realized then who had hit him with the chair. She did apologize so he didn't really see why Pansy was being a bitch about it. It's not like she was the one who was struck suddenly.

"I said I was sorry! There is no need for name calling! It's not like I did it on purpose!" He heard Granger almost shout.

He rubbed his bruised hip and took notice of Granger's friends suddenly surrounding around her like a pack of wolves protecting their pup. Starting a fight with them was the last thing he wanted tonight. He decided then that it was best to try and defuse the situation as quick as possible. His image was on the line and he couldn't afford something like this bringing it down.

"Whoa! Pansy, that was uncalled for, even for you, especially at an event like this! STOP embarrassing me!" Draco pleaded the last line through his clench teeth. He turned toward the girl who had hit him with her chair.

"Granger..."

He didn't really know what he wanted to say. He didn't want to be too nice as he still hated her but he didn't want to be mean either since that would make him look bad. Everyone was looking at him now waiting for to see how he handled this situation. He honestly couldn't think of anything so he just looked at her.

' _She looked even prettier up close. There was no denying that she grew into her looks…in a good way._ '

' _Oh for fuck sake!' he thought 'stop looking at her!_ '

"EXCUSE ME?"

If Pansy wasn't angry before, she was most definitely was now.

"HOW DARE YOU? HOW DARE YOU SPEAK TO ME LIKE THAT AND IN FRONT OF THIS MUDBLOOD!" she yelled waving her hands frantically in the air. The whole room let out a gasp.

"Oh please Pansy. Grow up!" Hermione chimed in.

Draco saw her take a step putting her directly between himself and Pansy. "Stop using that word! The war is over and your side lost so...so just stop! Your words are being wasted anyway. NO ONE CARES!"

She turned towards Draco. She looked like she was about to say something, when he saw Pansy's face go bright red. He knew she was about to do something. Thanking Salazar that her wand was still sitting on the table, he knew the only thing she could do was something physical to the Gryffindor standing in front of him. Draco put his left hand up to try and move Granger out of the way. He didn't know why he did it. It felt more like instinct. His body was reacting before his brain had time to process. As soon as his arm went to reach for the girl, he found out just what Pansy was capable of.

It happened too fast. Pansy pushed her... and boy did she push her hard. His left hand was forced back into his chest as a stunned Granger fell into him. Her right hand, hit his left shoulder with enough force to knock him off balance. With her left hand trapped between them, they fell to the ground. He felt his watch hit something when they landed. A bright red flash lit up the room making everyone shield their eyes.

That's the last thing he remembered before feeling like he was being sucked into an infinite vortex.

X

Friday, April 6, 2001 06:45pm

"Oh my god I am so sorry!" Hermione was frantic. She really didn't mean to hit anyone with her chair.

"WATCH WHERE YOU'RE GOING, YOU FILTHY MUDBLOOD!" Pansy screamed with venom in her voice.

Hermione was taken back. That's the last thing she expected to hear. That word! And at an event like this; how dare Pansy say that? And how dare she yell it in a room full of people? She thought since the war ended people would stop using that insult. Her blood wasn't dirty. She bled red just like everyone else.

She noticed how eerily quiet the room got. Everyone was looking at her. She assumed they were all waiting to see what she would say. Her friends all stood up in unison and made their way over to her, surrounding her in protection. She didn't want a fight. She didn't have the energy for one. After everything she went through in the past 11 months, a fight with two Slytherins, was the last thing she needed. After what felt like hours, she composed herself and looked Pansy dead in the eyes.

"I said I was sorry! There is no need for name calling! It's not like I did it on purpose!" She almost shouted. She was angry now. All shock gone from her system. The energy to fight back came out of nowhere. Pansy had no right and she was going to let her know. Before she could utter another comment she heard the person she hit with her chair speak.

"Whoa! Pansy, that was uncalled for, even for you, especially at an event like this! STOP embarrassing me!" she heard Malfoy plead.

Shock came right back and hit her square in the face. Never in her life would she have expected Draco Malfoy to stand up for her. Not that he was really standing up for her though. She assumed he had just said it to maintain his image. She also thought that maybe it was because the whole world knew how much Malfoy wanted to be rid of Pansy. Well, all the world, except Pansy.

She stared at him. She couldn't bring herself to look away. He turned to her and she could see the storm brewing in his beautiful grey eyes.

' _Shit...wait...what...stop looking at his eyes_ '

"Granger..."

At a loss for all words, she continued to stare at him. He was staring at her too. It was like their eyes locked on to each other and held on for dear life. She was only shaken from the hold when she heard Pansy scream in her ear.

"EXCUSE ME?"

"HOW DARE YOU? HOW DARE YOU SPEAK TO ME LIKE THAT AND IN FRONT OF THIS MUDBLOOD!" she yelled waving her hands frantically in the air. The whole room let out a gasp. Pansy sure knew how to throw a temper tantrum, But Hermione wasn't having it. She wasn't going to let her night be ruined by a pug nosed bimbo. Gathering up her Gryffindor courage she turned towards Pansy.

"Oh please Pansy. Grow up!" Hermione chimed.

She took a step forward that put her directly between Malfoy and Pansy. She wanted to make sure the wench heard every word she was saying. "Stop using that word! The war is over and your side lost so...so just stop! Your words are being wasted anyway. NO ONE CARES!"

She turned around forgetting for a moment that Malfoy was standing right behind her. She went to apologize again for hitting him with her chair when she saw his face go flat. He reached out his hand as if to touch her. Her brain buzzed at the confusion on why Malfoy would voluntarily touch her but she didn't get to finish that thought before she felt two hands roughly push on her back.

Not being able to get her footing in heels, she fell into Malfoy...hard. Her right hand reaching out to grab the only thing available, which just so happened to be his shoulder. She guessed the force of the impact was a lot stronger then she originally thought, because she saw him lose his balance and fall backwards. She stretched out her hand to grab his jacket to stop him from falling but it wasn't enough. The momentum of the fall dragged them both down. His left arm, that reached out earlier, was now pinned in between them. She felt her bracelet hit something hard as they landed. A bright flash of red light lit up the room.

Hermione doesn't recall what happened next. All she could think was how sick she felt, tumbling through what she could only be describe as a tornado.


	4. Chapter 4- Present meet Past

Chapter 4- Present meet Past

Saturday, April 6th, 1912 07:00pm

Landing hard on the floor, Draco could feel his lungs struggling to breathe. He tried catching his breath but before he could even inhale to grasp the sweet air around him, he felt something large fall on top of his chest. He felt like he just couldn't catch a break. First he gets hit with a chair, then Pansy starts a fight with Granger, then she pushes her, knocking them both down, and now he's lying on the floor struggling to breathe with a large object laying on top of him.

 _'What more could go wrong?'_ He thought, finally able to take in a deep breath.

He looked down at his chest to see what was laying on him but all he could see was hair.

 _'It smells like roses… with a hint… (sniff)…of vanilla.'_

He wanted to suffocate in it. He wanted to take another whiff of the wonderful scent, but the person on him started moving.

"Ugh, my head" He heard her say.

Lifting her head up with her hand placed on her forehead, he saw that it was Granger.

 _'He was sniffing Granger's hair? Shit he forgot she was still there.'_ The thought repulsed him and he tried to quickly sit up, pushing her off him.

"Ow Malfoy! Watch it!" she said in frustration as she stared at him from the floor with distaste.

"Are you alright?" She asked as her expression fell to concern "That was a pretty hard fall."

"Yeah…yeah I think so." He replied while rubbing his head "I'd ask if you were alright but seeing as I took the brunt of the fall for both of us, I'll refrain."

He took a moment to collect himself and stood up. Patting his pockets he pulled out his wand; thankful that it wasn't broken after that whole ordeal, he placed it in the inside of his jacket. He could see Granger trying to stand up as well but she seemed to be struggling in her heels.

 _'And that tight dress that showed off all of her curves…STOP IT!'_

Draco closed his eyes to try and erase the thought from his mind. He looked back down at her and contemplated helping her up, but watching her struggle was far more entertaining.

 _'It had been awhile since he's had a dinner and a show. Speaking of show…where the hell is everyone? And where are all the tables?'_

"Thanks for the help Malfoy!" he heard her utter in an annoyed tone. "What… what happened? Where is everyone?"

He noticed her heels thrown out on the floor. He assumed she threw them off to help her stand. She was looking around the room in shock. Draco shrugged his shoulder and looked around. The room was like a ghost town. Any evidence of a ball being thrown was gone. There were a few lit sconces illuminating the dark empty hall but that was it. No furniture, no people, no decorations, nothing. He tried to diapparate to Malfoy Manor but nothing happened.

 _'What the bloody hell is happening?'_

He started for the hall entrance.

"Where are you going" Hermione call out.

Stopping in his tracks he turned back to her.

"Too look around. What does it look like I'm doing? I can't disapparate and I am guessing that you can't either." he replied in an obvious tone. "There has to be someone here that can tell us what happened. I for one don't think we'll find the answers sitting in an empty room; do you?"

"Well, no but-" she started to say, but Draco took that as a good enough answer and started to walk off again.

"WAIT!" she yelled. "I'm coming with you!"

Catching up to him, since he refused to stop again, they started walking together towards the hall entrance. Both couldn't help but notice that the corridor, leading to the main entrance, looked oddly different, from when they arrived. Paintings that were hung earlier were no longer there. Furniture, that wasn't there before, was now placed throughout.

They stepped outside into the fresh air and the darkness surrounded them instantly. There were no lights that lit up the path anymore. No ushers or guards standing outside. There was no one. Draco thought that maybe there were wards placed on the castle that prevented unwanted guests from apparating onto the property, so he ran down the path and slipped through the gates. He really hoped that he could get home to the Manor and forget this night even happened.

Looking down at his watch Draco noticed the time was still the same. 07:09pm. That was around the time he fell so unless it was a different day completely and they both slept through everything, that doesn't explain how and why anyone would just leave them there and pack everything up around them. His head hurt in confusion. Too many questions ran through his brain at once.

 _'Why didn't anyone come looking for them?'_

He tried to disapparate after leaving the confines of the property, but he still wasn't able to. He asked Granger if she could try. She shook her head no after trying a few times. Giving up they walked back to The Castle.

The duo walked around in silence for about an hour and a half. After walking down so many corridors and into so many rooms, Draco had finally had enough. He was exhausted. His legs ached and his back still hurt from the fall. There was obviously no one else there, and there was no floo powder to be seen anywhere, so he sat down on a bench in the South Hall to relax for a minute.

"What are we going to do?" Granger asked

"Do you ever stop asking questions?" Draco replied with an annoyed tone.

"I like to think out loud okay? It helps me figure things out."

"Well stop! It's annoying! It's bad enough to be stuck in an empty estate alone. It's even worse when there is a toxic buzzing noise swimming in your ear asking stupid questions I don't have the answers to!" Draco snapped.

He closed his eyes and leaned back against the wall. It was probably a bad decision, as doing so, prevented him from seeing the fiery brunette uncross her arms and pull out her wand from her handbag, pointing it right at his face. He felt the cool wood touch his chin and his eyes snapped open quickly.

"What in the bloody hell woman! What do you think you are doing?" he asked not taking his eyes off the wand.

"Listen here ferret! It's not like I want to be stuck here with you either! You're just as annoying to be around! I have had one of the worst nights and you are not making it any better with your pathetic nagging! I would rather not listen to a slimy cockroach complain about how I process things! We are GOING to figure out what happened and you are GOING to help me! Is that understood?" she finished her rant and stared him in the face with daggers. She didn't remove the wand from his chin. She looked deadly serious, but Draco could still see the worry lines around her eyes. She looked tired and defeated.

 _'They both did'_ He thought.

"FINE! But don't expect me to be happy about it. The only reason I am willing to help is to get you off my back. Also I want answers too. This…" he pointed to the wand "…is not going to make me help you any faster and it's definitely not going to give us answers as to why there is not a soul in this place!"

She lowered her wand but still keep her enraged face on his.

"Now…" he continued as he stood up "We are both obviously tired. We should sleep on it and start fresh in the morning. We passed a few bedrooms on the way up here. We can back track and each pick a room." He concluded.

"And how do I know you won't just leave in the morning? Or that someone doesn't come in in the morning, find me, and hauls me off to jail for trespassing? This could all be some sick twisted game you're trying playing on me!" she asked now poking a finger at his chest. "If I find out, Malfoy, that this is some trick I swear-"

"You'll just have to trust me.' He interrupted "I promise I won't leave and I promise this isn't some game. Last thing I want or need is to be hexed or even punched by you again. My nose is still healing from that punch in third year."

"Oh don't be so dramatic. I didn't hit you that hard…did I?

"You did. But don't expect me to praise you on your punching arm. I've been hit by way worse."

"Like a Hippogriff?" she asked folding her arms like she just won the argument.

"NO-" he didn't have a chance to retort any further, before she continued.

"Whatever, it doesn't matter anyway. You deserved what happened to you both times due to your stupidity. So if we are done with this conversation I'd like to go to bed." She finished.

He was about to put her in her place but she started walking off in the wrong direction to the bedrooms.

"Granger…You're going the wrong way." He stated on an obvious way.

She stopped walking, turned on her heels and started walking the other way. She hit him with her shoulder as she passed by. Draco righted himself quickly. With a smug look on his face he started to follow her; with only the faint light of the sconces lighting the way.

X

Saturday, April 6th, 1912 08:42pm

Hermione stood in front of a bedroom door in the South Wing. She wanted to go in, she really did, but something was stopping her. She couldn't pin point why she was reluctant to enter, but something just didn't sit right with her. She turned to look at Draco, who stood in front of another bedroom door across the hall. He too looked hesitant to enter the chambers. Maybe the thought of sleeping alone in a huge castle, that neither of them knew well, made them both feel uncertain.

"Malfoy?" Hermione questioned. He turned around and looked at her. "This is going to sound weird, and do not take this the wrong way, but can you…uh…can you sleep in my room tonight?"

She saw him put on his famous Malfoy smirk. But even through the facade, she could see the unsureness in his eyes.

"Trying to get me into bed Granger? Didn't know you felt that way about me. I knew there was a little lioness in you just waiting to release itself upon this amazing body." he crossed his arms with his smirk still plastered on his face.

"Godric NO! Gross! I just…I just feel uncomfortable sleeping alone in a big place like this. There is no one to be found and it's eerie. We still have yet to figure out what's going on so just...Please?" she almost begged. She didn't want to admit to him of all people, that she would feel safer with him in the room.

She heard him release a breath as he dropped the smirk. He walked over to her door and didn't say a word. She knew that he too, didn't feel comfortable being on his own.

 _'Maybe he had changed. He wouldn't have agreed to sleep in the same room as her, if he didn't.'_ She thought.

As they entered the large dark bedroom, the duo illuminated their wands to see the room clearer. There in the center, sat a queen size bed. The dark blue sheets with a white down comforter looked as if it had been untouched for a long time. Two large, throne like, chairs sat in front a fireplace. There were no benches or couches and she knew one of them would have to sleep on the floor.

Hermione walked up to the fireplace. Looking around and still not finding any floo powder she pointed her wand at the dusty, charred firewood.

"Incendio."

The fireplace ignited, basking the room in a warm glow. She turned around and stood at the left side of the bed. Malfoy stood on the right.

"Right, so this is obviously going to happen- seeing as there is nowhere else to sleep." Raising one of his hands from his crossed arms, he continued. "And before you try to argue that I sleep on the floor, I am going to just say that that is not going to happen. You are more that welcome to sleep on the floor but I am going to sleep on the bed. This is my family's estate, so I have every right to sleep where I want. "

Not in the mood to argue anymore and really not wanting to sleep on the hard floor, she nodded her head in agreement. Still in her dress she placed her heels she was carrying on the floor and started to climb into bed. She laid as close to the edge as comfortably possible and she watched as Malfoy kicked off his shoes all while taking off his jacket and undoing his tie. He placed them on the end of the bed and started to unbutton the top half of his dress shirt, stopping after three buttons.

 _'Why does he look so good doing that? …STOP IT! He's foul.'_

"This will not be mentioned ever again. Do you hear me Granger? This gets out to no one."

"Don't worry Malfoy. I would rather not let anyone know I shared a bed with you. That's more hassle than its worth."

He shook his head and climbed into bed. They both laid there staring at the ceiling; neither of them able to fall asleep right away. Hermione turned her head to look at the blonde lying next to her. He wasn't as close to the edge like she was but he was still a good distance away from her.

"Malfoy?" She waited a moment to see if he would acknowledge her.

"Hmm?" she heard him reply.

"Thank you…you know…for doing this."

Still not looking at her, he nodded his head before turning over to face to opposite wall. She had a small smile placed on her lips as she turned over to face the fireplace. She closed her eyes while listening to the crackle of the fire and drifted off to sleep.


	5. Chapter 5- 1912

Chapter 5- 1912

Sunday, April 7th, 1912 08:07am

Draco felt the warm rays of sunshine press down on his face. He felt rather comfortable as he slowly woke from his sleeping state. His arm was wrapped around something petite and it made him wanted to just lay there forever as he smelled the soothing scent of vanilla-rose again.

 _'He really could melt away in this scent and he would be perfectly okay with it…wait!'_

His eyes shot open and he stared down at the girl he held in his arms. He must have rolled into to her in his sleep last night. He was having another one of his horrible nightmares and most likely grasped on to her for support. They were very close to the edge of her side of the bed. Not wanting to be caught holding her, he jerked his body and sat up quickly. He must have jerk a little too hard in his shocked state, because he heard a loud thud hit the floor.

"OW, WHAT THE HELL!"

He saw Granger look around in confusion from the floor. She probably thought she rolled herself off the bed. Finally catching his eyes, her face turned sour at the realization of what happened.

"Bloody hell Malfoy, that was rude."

"Sorry, had a nightmare," he smirked "I woke up and realized it was still going on; seeing as you're still here."

"Prat!"

"Bookworm!"

"Ferret!"

"Beaver!"

"Cockroach!"

"Know-it-all!"

"Ugh! Why are you even on my side of the bed anyway?" she asked as she started to stand up and straighten her dress.

"Like a said…nightmare." It was only a half-truth really. He did have a nightmare but he wasn't about to tell her he used her for emotional support in his sleep.

She seemed to have believed him because her face fell in into what looked like pity.

"I don't want your pity Granger. So you can stop right now before you say something to piss me off."

He swung his legs around to rest them off the edge of the bed.

"I wasn't going to pity you Malfoy…I…I get them too sometimes you know?" She moved to sit on the edge next to him. "Usually, about things that happened during the war. Last night was the first time, in a long time, I didn't have a nightmare."

Being curious he wanted to ask her what hers entailed. He turned to face her and ask but noticed her head bowed as she looked at her forearm. He instantly knew then. She dreamt of the night she was tortured at Malfoy Manor by his sadistic Aunt Bellatrix. He too had the same kind of nightmares. He was glad his aunt was dead; he hated her, but now he hated her even more.

Draco couldn't comprehend why he felt so bad for the muggle-born girl sitting next to him. But he could recall her screams as she looked to him in the Manor. Pleading with him to help her as his crazy aunt carved into her flesh, and he did nothing. In most of his nightmares, he could feel himself wanting to run to Granger and help her, but every time he tried, his body wouldn't move. He was always frozen, always watching, and never able to look away as she cried out in pain.

He stood up and moved to stand in front of her. She looked up at him. He knew she was waiting for him to insult her. It's something the old Draco would have done; he would have reveled in her moment of weakness just now. Not this time though. No, this time he wouldn't mock her. This time he wouldn't make her feel worthless, like he has felt his entire life. With sadness in his eyes he looked down at her.

"I'm sorry Hermione."

That was all he said. That's all he could say. He couldn't bring himself to say how sorry he was for everything he had ever done to her; all the insults and practical jokes made at her expense. He couldn't apologize for all the times he called her Mudblood and laughed as she ran away crying. But he WAS sorry. And he felt all that emotion pour into that three word apology. He hoped she understood just how much he really meant it.

Walking away from her, he made his way towards the en-suite, and closed the door behind him. It was too much. He walked over to tub to sit on its edge but his back slid down the porcelain material as he crumbled to the tiled ground. Putting his elbows on his knees he placed his face in his hands. Warm tears started to form in his eyes and no matter how hard he tried to hold them back, they wouldn't listen.

If Draco had stayed a little longer after apologizing, he would have noticed the brunette's shocked face. He not only just called her Hermione, but he apologized to her as well. It was the most sincere apology he has ever given; not including the one he tried to give to Professor Dumbledore before his untimely death in the astronomy tower. No, if Draco would have stayed he would have noticed the girl's hatred of him turn to kindness.

The en-suite door opened, but Draco didn't notice.

 _'This was too much. It was all too much.'_

He felt soft hands touch his knees but he didn't look up.

"Malfoy?" Hermione said quietly

He still didn't move. His tears subsided some but he was too embarrassed to look at. He didn't want her to see him crying. He wouldn't even let his mother see him cry. It was bad enough having Saint Potter catch him break down in the loo in sixth year. He wanted to fling her off him. He wanted to push her away and curse her out for touching him, but he didn't. He couldn't. He felt frozen just like he always was in his nightmares. He felt her hands move from his knees to his fingers. She peeled his hands from his face but he turned away so she couldn't look at him.

"Malfoy…it's okay. Can you…can you please look at me?" she pleaded not letting go of his hands.

He still refused to look at her. He didn't want this to be another thing she could hold over his head and bring up in an argument later down the line, if there ever was a later. He didn't know. After today they might go their separate ways and never speak to each other again.

He felt his head turn to her has she placed her small fingers on his chin. He sucked up all pride he had left as he let himself look into her brown eyes.

 _'She had the most additive caramel eyes.'_

He didn't curse himself for his thought that time. He knew it was true. He wouldn't tell her that but it didn't hurt to think it. She wasn't a Legilimen that he knew of and he was a master at Occlumency, so his thoughts where safe with himself.

Looking him dead in the eye he heard her speak four words he never thought he would ever hear her say to him.

"Draco…I forgive you."

X

Sunday, April 7th, 1912 08:25am

Hermione was crouched holding Malfoys chin with one of his hands in hers. She told him she forgave him and she meant it. She didn't do it though, just for him. Although he looked like he really needed to hear it. She did it for herself as well. After all he did apologize and she wanted to move forward with her life; forget past childhood rivalries.

After he said those words to her only moments ago, she felt all hatred for him die. Her brain rattled all over the place trying to decipher what just occurred. He had always been a prat and she expected him to mock her for having bad dreams, but he didn't. It was a simple apology, he not only called her by her first name but there was in-depth meaning behind the three words he spoke. It was like he was apologizing for more than just her torture; he was apologizing for everything bad he ever did to her.

"Wha…Why?" He questioned. He was looking at her like a deer caught in headlights. "I…I don't understand."

"Well…to quote Chiara Gizzi, 'Let go of the past, but keep the lessons it taught you.' Sometimes you just have to forgive…but not forget. I won't forget the things you have done Draco. But I am willing to move past them and be civil…if you're willing. "

He nodded his head."Th…thank you." The words stuttered off his lips.

Hermione smiled and slowly stood up, her hand still holding his to help him up. Releasing her hold she walked over to the sink and turned the tap on cold. Taking the hand towel off the wall she started to soak it in the water. She handed it to Malfoy and as he rubbed the towel on his face, she heard her stomach growl.

"Maybe we should get some food." She heard him say after a few moments of silence. "We can head to the kitchens if you want?"

"Yeah, that sounds good. We can head to town afterwards too. See if we can get a taxi or bus home."

"Okay." He shrugged his shoulders and started for the door.

After they grabbed their things from the room and tidied up, they walked down the long corridors in silence to the kitchens, in the West Wing. Hermione stepped into the room and stopped dead in her tracks. She saw Malfoy step up next to her from the corner of her eye.

"Does this kitchen seem a little…old fashion to you?" she questioned while looking around.

She made her way over to stove. It looked like a gas stove from the early 1900's. Confused she walked over to the refrigerator; it too looked like it belonged in a museum. But the weird thing was is that it didn't look old; it actually looked brand new and there wasn't a speck of dust on it anywhere. Opening it up she saw it was full of food. She grabbed 2 apples from the shelf and continued to look around.

 _'Maybe it's just the type of theme the Malfoy's were going for? Speaking of Malfoy's where did Draco go?'_

Malfoy? Where are you?" she looked around the kitchen but didn't see him anywhere.

"I'm over here." He called out "But uh…Granger…You might want to come see this."

Hermione made her way over to the spacious butler's pantry that was hidden around a very large cabinet. Hitting her knee on the corner of the island in the process, she walked in expecting to find something intriguing.

"What is it?" she asked leaning against the counter. Setting the apples down in front of Malfoy, she started rubbing her knee with her hand. She knew it was going to bruise but at the moment, her knee was the least of her worries. There, in Malfoy's hand was a newspaper. She didn't really think anything of it until he handed it to her. Reading the head line isn't what made her blood freeze. No, what made her panic was the date written in the top right hand corner.

 _ **Saturday, April 6**_ _ **th**_ _ **, 1912**_

 _ **TITANIC SET TO DEPART SOUTHAMPTON ON APRIL 10TH!**_

 _ **TICKETS STILL AVAILABLE SEE PAGE 3 FOR MORE DETAILS**_

"This is a joke right? Please tell me this is a joke!" she heard Malfoy's panic state.

She raised her head with her mouth gaped open. Looking at Malfoy, with his arms crossed, she tried to figure out what was going on.

 _'This has to be yesterday's paper. Today is the seventh not the sixth. Titanic? Why does that sound so familiar? Forget about it for now, it's not important! Why in Godric's name does the date say 1912?'_

"No! This can't be! How? I…I don't understand. This isn't possible, we didn't use a time turner-" she started to ramble but froze.

Fifty different thoughts rushed through her brain at once. It wasn't until she glanced at her bracelet and saw that the stone was gone. Looking up at Malfoy she noticed his watch and it finally clicked. She dropped the paper and grabbed his wrist so quickly, he flinched.

"Where did you get this? Where?" She demanded.

"What?" He asked ripping his arm from her grasp. "It's a watch Granger! It doesn't have anything to do with that newspaper saying the year is 19 fucking 12?"

"IT HAS EVERYTHING TO DO WITH IT! WHERE DID YOU GET IT?" She screamed. She was losing her patients. She needed to know and she needed to know now. If it is what she thinks it is. They are utterly screwed.

"MY FATHER OKAY! What is this about Granger? I don't appreciate the interrogation or the fact that you're manhandling me!"

"That stone! That stone that I saw in your watch yesterday! It's gone!" She pointed at his watch. He looked down and sure enough the stone was missing.

"WHAT THE FUCK GRANGER? THAT STONE WAS A FAMILY HEIRLOOM! WHAT DID YOU DO WITH IT?" He yelled while looking like he was about to murder her.

"NOTHING!" she screamed throwing her hands in the air. "You don't understand! If I am correct, which I usually am, that stone is extremely rare. So rare there was only four in existence. Two were used to aid in the development of time turners, one was given to you as an heirloom, that I am assuming has been passed down from generation to generation, and one was given to me by Harry, that used to belong to the House of Black! It was in my bracelet and now it's gone!"

"What are you saying? That the stones threw us back in time 100 years? How is that possible and how do you even know all this?" he asked not believing a word she was saying.

"89 years actually, but yes, that is exactly what I am saying! Those stones are called _Tunc Lapis,_ otherwise known as Time Stones. I knew I recognized it when Harry gave me my bracelet, I just could figure out how I recognized it. I had read about them back in third year when Professor McGonagall first gave me a time turner-"

"Wait you had a time turner in third year-"

"That's not the point right now Malfoy! The point is that when Pansy pushed me into you at the ball the stones connected. The stones aren't supposed to touch each other unless the user or users are intending to travel long distant through time. That explains why there was only one stone in each family."

"Let me get this straight. You're saying this is Pansy's fault? I knew she would be the one to ruin my life-"

"MALFOY!"

"WHAT?"

"Now is not the time to be joking around! We are stuck in the past and we need to figure out how to get back! We can't disapparate for a reason! That's one of the rules of time travel-"

"I wasn't joking, but okay smart one! You're the one who has read about them. How the hell do we get back?"

"Well…we have to find the stones of this time and connect them in the same place we were when the stones were first used, bringing us here."

"That's just great! How the hell are we supposed to find two ultra-rare stones in this time period?" He asked frustrated.

"I don't know." She admitted.

"Of course you don't, because it's next to impossible Granger!"

"WELL WE DON'T REALLY HAVE A CHOICE, NOW DO WE?"

She watched as he leaned against the opposite counter crossing his arms in defeat. She really didn't know how they were supposed to find the stones, if they even could find them. She only knew that it wasn't going to be easy, but they had to try.

"So why the hell is there no floo powder anywhere?" he asked a little calmer.

"Shit! I forgot about the floo powder. Wait; give me a minute." She stated while holding up her hand.

"The powder was invented in the thirteenth century by Ignatia Wildsmith-"

"Okay but that doesn't explain why there isn't any here. It cost two Sickles a scoop, I'm sure my ancestors could afford that." He added.

"I know. There wasn't ever a shortage reported and every wizarding household carries a stock of it…wait a minute-"

"What? What is it?" he asked almost excitingly.

"It was temporarily band for four years in 1909 due to a manufacturing default. Someone was mixing human ash into the mixtures as a prank and people were being sent to hospitals with multiple limbs that weren't theirs. They had to recall it until they could find the culprit."

"Perfect! We got thrown back in time one year too fucking early!"

"Malfoy, there is one more thing you should know." She said softly.

"Like what? It's not like my day could get any worse!"

"Going this far back in time…it…it's not like using a time turner-" she started.

"That much I figured out for myself; thanks."

"No Draco, please just listen to me. Going back a few hours is one thing. The present still continues while you catch up to it. Going back years…it-"

She couldn't figure out the right words to explain without it sounding bad. Well it was bad; no matter how she put it.

He raised an eye brow at her. "Going back years… what Granger? Spit it out."

She looked at him as if her world was crumbling around her.

"Going back this far in time…it makes it so the present no longer exists. Time in 2001 is frozen in place, it's…it's no longer moving forward…no one knows we are gone."


	6. Chapter 6- Lost and Found

Chapter 6- Lost and Found

Sunday, April 7th, 1912 09:43am

 _'That's just fucking great! Nothing seems to be going well in the slightest.'_ Draco thought.

Tired of thinking about it, he backed off the counter he was leaning on, grabbed one of the apples Granger placed in front of him earlier, and started to walk off.

"Where are you going?" She asked.

"To search the place." He declared while spinning around to face her. He took a single bite from the juicy green apple and resumed. "If everything you just said is true then there isn't anything we can do about until we find the stones. My father said the stone was supposed to bring luck to the wearer," _'A lot of bloody good it's done me._ ' "But no one knew its true significance. It has been passed through the family for generations so its real purpose must have gotten lost over time, I guarantee you the one I had, is either here or at the Manor."

Turning on his heels he started making his way back to the entrance of the kitchen.

"Brilliant!" he heard her exclaim as she followed him out of the pantry.

The duo found some clothing in the closet of the bedroom they were staying in and changed out of their formal wear; putting their old outfits into Granger's extendable handbag. They also decided to hide their valuables in the bag for safe keeping since the accessories were too modern looking.

The clothes were simple, made of high end silk. The clothing was most definitely relaxation outfits made for first class citizens, which pleased Draco's ego. Granger dressed in the bathroom and came out wearing a plain, short-sleeved, cream colored, floor length dress, with dark brown buttons framing the whole left side of the gown, keeping it closed. She looked nice; almost like she was made for era. The dress suited her well and still showed off some curvature. He on the other hand, was wearing a plain white pique shirt and black trousers with suspenders. Refusing to pull them over his shoulders, he let them stay hanging on his hips. There was a waistcoat that went with the outfit but since he wasn't going outside, Draco opted to not wear it. All-in-all they looked like the belonged in the time period.

Once they were dressed, Granger had charmed her heels into flats for comfortability and his shoes in the Oxford style of the 1900's. Feeling satisfied with their look, they headed out of the room to begin their expedition. They searched everywhere possible for the stone; only stopping for short breaks to eat and use the restroom. With a castle that large, the search took them the whole day before Draco decided to relinquish their mission around 9 o'clock that night. Both tired and drained from walking all day, they headed back to the bedroom.

"I give up. It's not here. It must be in the Manor." Draco announced as he threw himself backwards onto the bed, covering his eyes with his arm.

"We can go into the city tomorrow morning and take a car to the Manor. We would have to come up with a way to get in though. You can't just waltz in saying you're a Malfoy and start searching the place. There is no way anyone would believe you and we can't tell anyone we're from the future. Also sneaking in would be highly risky." Granger explained.

"So what do you suppose we do then?" he asked sitting up.

"We can always come up with aliases. We are also going to need some money for a car." She suggested.

"Oh I have money, that's not an issue; I always carry at least a thousand Galleons on me at all times for in case of emergencies."

"Merlin's beard Malfoy, that's five thousand pounds! What kind of emergency are you preparing for that you would need that much money on your person?"

"I'd say being stuck 89 years in the past qualifies as an emergency; don't you?" he mentioned with a grunt. "Besides, I'm rich remember? That's what muggles would call chump change to me."

She stared at him like he was crazy. It's not like he couldn't afford to carry that much money on him. It's not like it was heavy; he sometimes forgets he even has it on him. But to be honest, he was only carrying that much because he wanted to pre-order the newest Firebolt Thunder that was being released in a month.

Chuckling, Draco shook his head as he stood up from the bed and walked over a cart that sat by the fireplace and started to pour himself a glass of bourbon. Looking over at Granger still hovering by the bed, he raised the crystal decanter in a silent method to ask if she wanted any. She shook her head no as she made her way over to sit in one of the throne like chairs.

"So we are good on money but we will need to exchange it for muggle currency, so we'll have to find a wizarding bank. We also still need to come up with fake identities."

He took a sip from his glass and sat down on other chair opposite from her. Finding a wizarding bank wouldn't be hard so he tried thinking of a few surnames they could both use instead. He figured they would need a pureblood name in order to gain access to the Manor as there was no way they would let anyone of lesser blood in. He started making a mental list of names in that category, but only came up with one he was willing to use.

"What about Zabini?"

He saw her stop her processing of thinking and shake her head no.

"That won't work. The Zabini's are too close to the Malfoy family. They would instantly recognize that we weren't part of the family…wait a minute. Are you insinuating we both take the same last name? ...Like we would pretend to be married?"

"Why not? It would be the easiest to explain and we wouldn't have to come up with two different pureblood surnames."

She looked at him with a questioning face but she seemed to have accepted his answer since she nodded her head, but she kept looking at him like she wanted to say more.

"And before you say anything Granger, it's not like I want to pretend to be married to you either. It's just the simplest way to go about this. Its temporary, so don't get used to it. We might have agreed to be civil after my break down this morning, but we aren't friends. Speaking of which, you will NEVER see that happen again, nor will you speak of it to anyone. It never happened."

He saw her lips fall in to a frown and he instantly felt bad. He couldn't understand why he didn't like seeing her upset, so he decided to brush off the thought for now. It wasn't like he was lying to her; they weren't friends, nor did he ever see them becoming friends and he definitely wasn't going to let her see him in that state again.

 _'She isn't terrible company though and she didn't seem to mind his break down. She actually seemed to care. He had never had anyone care like that before.'_

"Okay, well how about Lovegood?" she asked, choosing to instead continue with the topic they were originally on.

"Fuck no!"

"Just, hear me out Malfoy." She leaned forward so her elbows were resting on her knees. "The Lovegood's aren't close to your family and they were never sorted into Slytherin house, so the idea of your ancestors recognizing the faux relationship is minimal. They are also purebloods with blonde hair, very similar to your own. I think it can work. We would just tell them that we are on a holiday, saw the beautiful mansion, and just had to stop to ask for a tour."

Draco took a moment to contemplate what he had just heard. She wasn't wrong. In fact everything she said had made perfect sense. However he hated the idea of being called a Lovegood, and he most definitely wasn't happy about his decision to agree with it, but it was the most logical choice.

"Fine, whatever. I guess it'll work."

"Perfect!" she exclaimed as she stood up and started for the bed. "We'll head down to the city in the morning. Are you coming to bed?"

"I'll be there shortly. I'm just going to stay up for a little bit." He replied taking another sip of this drink and setting it on an end table.

"Okay."

She crawled into bed but Draco saw out of the corner of his eye, her gearing up to ask another question. He was tired of her constant questioning but at least she was talking to him. He liked that she was being herself around him. If there was one thing he hated the most, it was people being fake. He also took notice that she wasn't hugging the edge of the bed like she was last night. Not that he minded. He had never slept next to another person. Not even after sex. He was a fuck and chuck kind of guy. But lying next to her last night made him feel calmer in a way he never knew he could.

"Hey Malfoy?" She asked.

"Yeah?"

"I know you hate when I constantly ask questions but-" It was almost like she was reading his mind. "Why do you think there is a castle full of fresh food and clothing but no one around, that we have seen, to stock it?"

He took a moment to think it over. "Back in the present, the staff would only come to The Castle before and after a huge event; for preparations and clean up…Oh shit!" He stood up so fast he almost knocked the chair he was sitting in, over.

"What? What is it?"

She looked worried now. He didn't mean to worry her but the realization hit him like a ton of bricks.

"The Malfoy staff has stuck to the same schedule for centuries, in every estate we own, including this one! We didn't have house elves back...well now… but I know we had house maids and every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday they would come in the morning to tidy up…there is no way we can stay here after tonight. They will find us for sure and I doubt we are going to be able to stay at the Manor."

"We can always try to find a hotel or something in city. I mean sharing a room with you isn't that bad. I can also handle searching the manor, but… I don't think I could actually stay there, even if they offered." She claimed while lowering her head.

"Oh…Sorry. I…I wasn't thinking."

The act of saying sorry to her seemed to come easier to him after the first time, but he didn't want to keep doing it. It wasn't like him to apologize for anything. He made a mental note to stop doing things he would later want to apologize for.

"It's okay." She smiled at him.

He liked when she smiled at him. It was so warm and caring, but it made all his blood rush to the lower half of his body.

 _'Shit stop! She might be attractive since graduating, that I can admit, but she is not someone you want to fuck. Think of something else! Anything else…McGonagall! …Yes that works. Oh thank Salazar.'_

"If they do allow you to stay there I can always get a room somewhere else. We can meet up every day until we find the stones, then head back here. I have some muggle money in my handbag so I'll be okay." She suggested.

"Ehem. Yeah, okay. We can do that."

He cleared his throat again and turned away from her, not wanting her to catch the expression of lust bulging from his in his pants. He also didn't want her to see his disappointed face admit that he didn't want to stay at the manor without her. She was starting to grow on him as a friend. He didn't like her like that no matter how much his dick said so.

 _'It had been awhile, so it was only human nature for his body to react to a woman the way it did. She was being way to nice to him and his body couldn't handle it. Yes that's it.'_

He watched her from the corner of his eye, as she laid down facing the inside of the bed. He turned his head around completely to face the fire place and tried to take his mind off what his body was thinking was acceptable.

 _'Maybe it wouldn't be so bad being friends with her. She did admit sharing a room with him wasn't terrible, and they have been getting along fairly well. The little lioness was also is one hell of a fighter in sticky situations.'_

He finished his thought while rubbing his nose at the memory of her punching him. After a few minutes of being mesmerized by the flames of the fire, and finally calming his lower region down; he walked to the other side of the bed. Looking down at Hermione's sleeping face, he managed a smile. It wasn't a forced smile either, it was genuine and he didn't regret it. Scooting himself under the covers he faced her and closed his eyes.

 _'Yes, being friends with the Gryffindor Princess wouldn't be so bad. That type of soul is hard to come by and Salazar knows the struggles he has been through. He had lost so many people in his life due to his actions. Only Blaise and Theo stuck around, but even they were hardly around anymore. Pansy was another story completely and there was no way in hell he was going to stay friends with her after what she did. No, he could use a good friend…a real one…and not just in this time period. He needed a real friend when or even if they get back, as well.'_

X

Monday, April 8th, 1912 09:15am

Hermione woke to the feeling of warm breath on her face. Snapping her eyes open, she saw Draco fast asleep. He was so close to her. Any other day, she would have pushed him away or even yelled at him but this time was different. If anyone would have told her a few days ago that she would allow the man that was once her enemy, this close to her face, she would have hexed them on the spot. She wanted to break his mold and be his friend. He wasn't so bad once his walls were down.

She studied his face as he slept. She had never seen him this close up before and it made her curious. His eyelashes were long and beautiful, but his eyebrows were furrowed as if he was having a bad dream. She could see the worry lines that lay across his forehead. She felt sorry for him. Not the kind of sorry that was almost pity, but the type of sorry that meant she knew what he was going through.

 _'He looks so broken.'_

Without realizing she was even doing it, Hermione lifted her right hand and started to stroke his cheek. She let the tips of her fingers slide up his jaw and across the top of his right brow. His face relaxed instantly and he looked peaceful. She continued to trace around his face, down the bridge of his nose, landing on his lips. She was so focused on his lips that she didn't notice his eyes were now open, looking down at her. As she continued her strokes to back to his jaw, she felt a hand quickly grab her wrist.

Realizing he was awake, she was embarrassed for getting caught touching him and looked down at his chest. He loosened his grip somewhat but was still holding on to her wrist as she reluctantly looked back up at him. She was ready to apologize but as soon as she opened her mouth, she felt soft lips on hers. Her eyes went wide and she panicked inside her head.

Malfoy was kissing her, and he was doing it willingly. It took Hermione a few second to comprehend what was happening, before she started to kiss him back. He flicked his tongue on her lips, asking for permission. Parting her lips for him he deepened the kiss; rolling her slightly on her back as he leaned into her. He released the hold on her wrist as she went to slip her fingers through his hair.

The kiss started fast but ended just as quick. He threw himself off her like he had just touched acid and jumped off the bed. He sped to the bathroom leaving a stunned Hermione behind.

 _'What the hell was that?'_ she thought leaning her body up on her elbows.

Rubbing her hand down her face she sat up fully and swung her legs off the side of the bed. She couldn't understand what just occurred between them.

 _'Just last night he said they weren't friends, so why did he just kiss her? And why did he run away like it was a mistake…was it a mistake?'_

She grabbed her wand and handbag off the nightstand. After charming her bedhead to look smooth again she headed out of the room. She wasn't ready to ask Malfoy about the kiss just yet and felt they both could have used some space, so she decided to head down to the kitchen to grab something to eat. Sitting on a stool at the island she started to cut up an apple when she heard a noise. She wasn't gone that long and figured Malfoy was still in the bedroom where she left him. She slowly stood up and made her way to the kitchen door. Casting a silencing spell on the door she opened it and heard voices she didn't recognize.

"-and I want all of our bags sent up to the Master suite. Oh and do hurry will you? I want tea set up in the garden before ten."

"Yes, Madam Malfoy."

 _'Shit! Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit.'_

"Aquila my beautiful wife, an owl has just arrived with our tickets to board the Titanic!" She heard a male voice say. "We are all set to sail to America the day after tomorrow."

"Why that is lovey news dear."

Risking a glimpse, Hermione cracked the door open a little more to get a better view. She saw a very wealthy looking couple standing in the corridor. The woman seemed poised as she stood in front of her well put together husband, both wearing day clothes similar to what she and Malfoy were already wearing. Taking a closer look she saw the two tickets in the man's hand, which he had mentioned just moments ago. What she didn't expect to see, was there on the woman's left hand; sat a ring with something that looked very red and very shiny.

 _'The stone! Godric, that's why they couldn't find it in the castle, Malfoy's ancestor is wearing it as a wedding ring…Shit Malfoy!'_

Fearing the Slytherin Prince getting caught, Hermione did the only thing she could think of. She slowly closed the door and made her way over to the window across the room.

"Expecto Patronum." She whispered as she thought of her happiest memory.

Giving her otter Patronus the message that the Malfoy ancestors were in the castle, she sent it off to Draco; praying it wouldn't be spotted in the process. She made her way back over to the kitchen entrance, opening it just a little, to see if the couple had moved. Relieved they had, she cast another silencing spell on her feet. She squeezed herself through the crack, closing the door as she went and began her trek back to the bedroom.

Out of breath from running almost the whole way she barged into the room and crashed directly into a wall. She started falling over, but the wall seemed to have sprouted arms because she never hit the floor. Instead she was righted up and faced a scared looking Draco.

"Granger? Are you okay? I got your Patronus! Are they really here?" he asked desperately.

Shaking away the stun she received from the crash, she remembered why she was rushing.

"Yes, I'm fine but we need to get out of here now!"

She fixed the room with a simple cleaning charm to make it look like they were never there. Grabbing Malfoys' watch from her bag, she checked the time.

 _'09:42am. Good, they should be in the garden by now.'_

Placing the watch back she peeked out of the door. With the corridor clear, she grabbed Malfoy's hand and dragged him out of the room; not stopping until they reached the Main Foyer in front of the large double doors. As they were about to set foot out the, now open, entry way they were stopped by a petite voice.

"Excuse me? May I help you? Who are you and why are you trespassing on this property?"


	7. Chapter 7- City of Southampton

Chapter 7- City of Southampton

Monday, April 8th, 1912 09:22am

 _'What the fuck is wrong with you? Why would you do something like that?'_

Draco paced in the bathroom that connected to the room the duo was staying in. He was kicking himself for what he had done. He not only just kissed Granger but he ran away. He didn't mean to do it. Her lips just looked so delicious; he had to have a taste. It was such an invigorating kiss and he half wished it continued but he felt his dick get hard and he couldn't risk her finding out about it. He didn't want her. He might have agreed to be her friend but he didn't agree with his body reacting the way it did. She was running her fingers on his face and he felt so relaxed. Never in his life had he felt a touch as soft as hers and never in his life had he felt so calm because of it.

 _'She did taste amazing though. Like cinnamon apples on a warm summer day; and she reciprocated. But it meant nothing! It was a mistake and it won't ever happen again! '_

Sitting himself down on the edge of the claw-foot tub he rubbed his face and heard the bedroom door click shut.

 _'She left… She left him and didn't even bother to check on him. Not that it matters. It's not worth the million questions she was going ask.'_

After what felt like hours, but really was only about twenty minutes, Draco stood up and left the en-suit. He plopped himself onto the bed as question after questioned popped into his head. He had to find a way to get out of talking about the kiss. He couldn't avoid her forever since he was stuck in the blasted past with her, but he could damn well try to avoid the awkwardness that was sure to come.

As he made plans on how to dodge the questions he knew she would ask; a bright white orb appeared out of nowhere. Sitting up he noticed the orb was in the shape of an otter.

"A Patronus? Who would send me a Patronus in 1912?"

"Malfoy!" the otter spoke "Your ancestors are in the castle. I'll explain everything later but we need to leave. Stay quiet and stay out of sight. I'll be back soon."

 _'Shit!'_

He jumped off the bed and grabbed his wand. He didn't know what to do. He didn't want to risk heading out to find Granger, but he didn't want to stay in the room either. After about five minutes of pacing he walked to the door; making up his mind to leave. As he went to grab the handle, the door swung open, almost hitting him in the face. He felt something hard hit his chest. Instinctively he reached out and righted the person falling to the floor.

"Granger? Are you okay? I got your Patronus! Are they really here?" he desperately asked.

She shook her head as if to shake off the sudden impact and looked up at him.

"Yes, I'm fine but we need to get out of here now!"

She took his watch out of her bag and looked at it. He thought it was a little strange that she was checking the time now when they should be making their way out of the place. He saw her peek her head out of the door and before he had a chance question the woman about what she was doing, he felt her grip his hand and drag him behind her. They made it to the main entrance and were about to walk out when a voice made his blood run cold.

"Excuse me? May I help you? Who are you and why are you trespassing on this property?"

Stunned and not knowing what else to do. The duo slowly turned around to face a woman. It was a handmaiden and she was looking cautiously at them. Draco could see her fingers grasping a wand in the front pocket of her apron, so thinking as fast as he could; he straightened himself up as he tried remembering how to speak like a gentleman, and he let whatever bullshit he could muster fall from his mouth.

"Our apologies, Miss-"

"…Applegate sir." The maid responded hesitantly.

"Miss Applegate. My name is Draco Lovegood and this here is my wife Hermione." He claimed, while slipping his arm around Granger's lower back. He could feel her tense up and he blamed himself. He didn't need the awkwardness of their kiss making this predicament worse.

 _'Their kiss? Yes. It was theirs and theirs only.'_

Removing the thought from his head he continued on to the more important task at hand. They had just been caught in the castle and he needed to come up with a good lie. He removed his hand off the small of Granger's back and harnessed his inner Slytherin. Remembering what was said last night about their identities, he came up with the perfect excuse.

"We just got married a few days ago and we are currently on our honeymoon. While we were taking a morning stroll, the Mrs.'s saw this beautiful castle and she just had to see inside as she is fascinated by renaissance castles. I wanted to make her happy, so we knocked on the door but received no answer. The place looked abandon and for lack of better judgment we came in to take a tour. We did not know anyone lived here. I sincerely apologize for the misconception and shock we have put you through."

 _'If that didn't work then we'll just have to obliviate her.'_ He thought.

"I see…Congratulations on your marriage. I am truly sorry for not showing my hospitality. We do not usually get visitor unless an event is being thrown and the Malfoy's have only just arrived. Would you like to meet them? They are having tea in the garden and I am sure they would love to show you around."

 _'She believed him? Hmm this might be easier than expected.'_

"No need to worry yourself over a misunderstanding. We appreciate your kindness but we really must be going. We have a few things we need to do in the city before lunch."

With a nod of his head he took his pretend wife's hand in his and headed for the door. The handmaiden followed to see them out.

"If you have any spare time during your stay, I am sure the Malfoy's would love to give your wife a tour of the castle. They will be leaving Tuesday morning to sail on the grandest ship to America on holiday. After tomorrow I am afraid no one will be able to assist you."

He could feel Granger turn around and with a soft voice she finally spoke to the woman.

"You are too kind Miss. Applegate, however we do have a tight schedule planned out for us already and we will unfortunately not be able to make it back in time. It would be so lovely to one day, talk over the details of this wondrous architecture with Mrs. Malfoy. Perhaps that day will be soon, as we too are going to be sailing on the Titanic." She announced.

Draco looked at her in shock, but quickly smiled so the handmaiden didn't catch on to his surprised face. He didn't know what Granger had planned but he had no other choice but to trust her. She wasn't called the smartest witch of her age for nothing.

"Oh how exciting! I do hope to see you on the ship. Hopefully you get to meet the Malfoy's; they really are a wonderful couple."

With a few smiles given as a goodbye, the faux couple made their way down the path and through the gates. Waiting until they were out of view, Draco released the hand he was holding and spun around to face the little lioness.

"What the hell was that? Since when are we going to be sailing on a ship?" He angrily asked.

"That's what I told you I would explain later…I found the stone."

"You…You found it? How? Where is it? Let me see?" He pleaded.

"I don't have it-"

"What do you mean you don't have it? You just said you found it!"

"You really need to stop interrupting me." She looked at him as if waiting for him to interrupt again but he instead crossed his arms and waited for her to continue.

"As I was saying; I don't have it because the stone at the moment resides in Mrs. Malfoys wedding ring."

"Fuck"

"Yes, well we can't go back in there. We have no way of retrieving the stone out of her ring unless she takes it off. I don't really see her doing that anytime soon, except to bathe, if she even takes it off for that. It would also be extremely risky to sneak in now, seeing as we pretty much told the maid that we broke in. Also, I overheard them talking earlier; before I sent you the Patronus. They just received their tickets today. The will most definitely be on that ship."

"So we get on the Titan?"

"Titanic. And yes." She corrected.

"Granger that ship is going to America! How are we supposed to find the other stone, if we are on a different continent?"

"Easy. Well not easy I guess, but it will be once we get an international port-key. This is our only shot Malfoy. It will be hard to find them again after that ship sets sail."

"Okay."

"Okay?"

"Yeah. I mean I'm not entirely thrilled to be sailing across the world but we don't really have much of a choice. It was hard enough coming up with one lie to get us out of the castle. I don't really want to try to come up with another if we get caught sneaking in."

"Nice job, by the way…on the lie. You really did save us back there."

His lips formed a half smile as she complimented him. That was the first time he had ever heard her praise him for doing something. Not even back in school, when he surpassed her by 2 points in the Potions NEWT, did she tell him good job. He liked the feeling of the compliment, even if the praise was for a lie.

Turning on his heels he started to walk down the street towards the city. He heard Grangers foots steps behind him as she tried to catch up. His long legs were no match for her, so he slowed his pace down to allow her some time to follow in step.

"So we go to the bank first then what? She questioned.

"We don't need a car anymore since we aren't going to the Manor, so I supposed we can get a room somewhere then buy the tickets."

"Brilliant. I hope we aren't too late for the tickets" She began. "I would rather not have to sneak on to fully packed ship."

Hiding a smirk, the pair continued their long walk down to the city of Southampton.

X

Monday, April 8th, 1912 10:45am

They had walked well over an hour and Hermione was tired. The walk took longer than they expected but they finally made it to the city. It was huge, with shops for everything you could think of down all the streets. There was one main street that had all the major stores so they headed down that way. She didn't know how Malfoy knew that the bank they stood in front of was a wizarding bank, and she was too exhausted to even ask. So she decided to sit down on a bench outside the building. While she waited for him to exchange his Galleons for pounds she did what muggles called, people watching.

This era was so different from 2001. Most of the streets were made of cobble stone but this one was paved. She saw a few Brass Era cars, not that she knew what they were called, pass by with what looked like upper class families riding in the back. There were so many people walking on the sidewalk, it was hard to watch just one. There were children playing in the street and she noticed a group of three of four boys playing a game of Knucklebone or more commonly referred to as Jacks. A little girl sat off to the side of them brushing the hair on her wooden doll. Women strolled along carrying parasols. Some were open, blocking the sun from their skin, and some were closed and used like a cane. The men dressed as a gentleman should. Their tuxedos were pristine; there wasn't a wrinkle in sight. There were also some men, women, and children that looked to be part of a lower class, hurrying along but avoiding anyone that looked to have come from money.

Before she could watch anymore Malfoy walked out of the bank with a huge grin plastered to his face.

"What? Did they recognize you as a Malfoy and treat you like a god?" She joked.

"Ha-ha. No, but apparently the exchange rate in 1912 is a lot higher than I thought."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean…that your calculations of one thousand Galleons equals about five thousand Pounds was wrong." He stated still not telling her how much it was really worth.

"Impossible. I did the math; it equals exactly five thousand Pounds."

Yeah, in 2001 Granger. We are 89 years in the past. Inflation hasn't caught up yet."

She stared at him in shock. She forgot about inflation. She quick did the math in head, while Malfoy stood in front of her with his hands in his pockets, waiting for her to figure it out. 1 Galleon in 2001 was equivalent to 5 Pounds, so 1,000 times 5 equals 5,000 but with 89 years of inflation rates she didn't know; she couldn't finish her equation.

"Malfoy I don't know the exact rate but if what you are telling me is true then I'd have to guess that you have at least fifty thousand pounds on you!"

"87 thousand, actually."

Her eyes bulged as she looked at him. His face was serious. He really had that much money on him. Her mouth opened and closed multiple times as if she wants to say something but was still in shock.

 _'What the hell were they going to do with 87,000 pounds? He could buy half the town with that kind of money!'_

"I…wha…but…yo…and…OH MY GOD MALFOY!"

He quickly covered her mouth with his hand.

"Damn it Granger! Don't cause a scene. I'm not a Malfoy here remember? Do you want someone to try and rob us?"

She shook her head no and he dropped his hand.

"What the hell are we supposed to do with all that?" She whispered.

"I can think of one thing…Let's go shopping shall we."

She followed him as he made his way down the street. They stopped at a shop to get some new clothes and luggage to blend in and Malfoy finally fixed his attire. He pulled the suspenders over his shoulders and put on a dark waistcoat. After he finished dressing, they made their way to a hat store. The pair goofed off as they tried on a variety of different ones.

"That hat suits you Mr. Lovegood." She expressed with a large smile.

"And…that one definitely does not suit you."

She giggled as he took the hat off her and looked around the shop. He placed a wide brim Edwardian hat that was white with a red ribbon, on her head. It had two faux roses where the ribbon met tied in a bow.

"That one works a lot better for you Mrs. Lovegood."

She looked at herself in the gold framed mirror. He was right. It did look good on her.

 _'He always did have good fashion taste.'_

They finished their shopping and checked out. They headed down the street a ways and made a left towards a hotel.

"Merlin's beard!" She expressed as she stopped in her tracks.

"What?"

She saw him out of the corner of her eye follow the path she was looking. There it was. Standing at about twelve stories high and around three Quidditch pitch lengths, was grandest ship she had ever seen. The Titanic. Its' four smokestacks that sat on the upper deck added about 5 more stories to the ships height totaling about 17 stories high. It was beautiful, but Hermione has a strange feeling. Like it wasn't the first time she had seen it.

"Bloody hell!" she heard Malfoy say as he let out a whistle. "That's the ship?"

"I am assuming so. It's so much bigger than I imagined. But…something is off."

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"I don't know. There is just something wrong about this. I can't put my finger on it. I feel like I've seen this ship before but I can't place where."

"Maybe you read about it? With all the books I have seen you read at Hogwarts, it wouldn't surprise me if you forgot."

"I did read a lot back then didn't I?" she uttered releasing a chuckle. "It'll come back to me eventually. Come on lets go get something to eat then we can go get tickets." She suggested.

They made their way over to a small restaurant and waited to be seated. A hostess came over to the small podium and Hermione noticed the woman eyeing Malfoy.

"Good afternoon; table for two?" she questioned as her cheeks flushed.

"Yes. My wife and I would like your best table please." Malfoy replied.

"I'm sorry sir but that table is already booked."

"No worries. We'll take the next best one."

"Of course sir, if you would follow me." She said. Not taking her eyes off him. She didn't even seem to notice Hermione standing next to him.

They made their way over to a table that sat in front of a window. The hostess handed Malfoy a menu first. With a wide smile she looked to have tried to brush his hand with hers before turning to Hermione. With a frown she handed her a menu. Malfoy didn't even seem to notice, let alone care, that the woman was fawning over him. She was practically eye raping him in front of the whole restaurant and he didn't even raise a brow.

"Would you like to hear our luncheon specials for the day?" she asked, still looking at Draco.

Hermione had had enough. It wasn't jealousy. She could never be jealous of a woman drooling over the man sitting in front of her, but she was annoyed that she was being ignored. Grabbing Malfoys hand in hers she started to stroke it before replying to the bitch.

"No that won't be necessary, will it dear?"

He seemed to have finally caught on as he gripped her hand back. Not even looking at the woman waiting for his response, he instead looked directly at Hermione.

"No darling. It won't. We'll take two glasses of your finest white wine. My wife here will take the Chicken A La Maryland and I will take the Fillets of Brill." He finished as he handed the menu back to the hostess.

The woman looked disappointed as she took the menus and walked away.

"How do you know I'll even like the Chicken A La Maryland?" she asked releasing his hand.

"I've seen you eat at Hogwarts. You always eat the chicken and that's pretty much what that dish is." He explained.

She couldn't take her eyes off him. He had known what she ate at school.

 _'Did he always watch her? That's a little creepy. Intriguing; but creepy.'_

The pair sat in silence for a few moments. She couldn't take the quite but they didn't really have anything to else to talk about at the present time, so she opted to people watch again out the window. After about fifteen minutes she was bored. The food had finally arrived so she placed her napkin on her lap and started to dig in. It was probably the best chicken she had tasted in a long while. She took a sip of her wine and looked up at Malfoy. He wasn't touching his food. A few bites had been eaten but that was about it. His fork was held tightly in his grip and he was staring. Not at her, but behind her.

"Malfoy?" She whispered leaning closer to him over the table. "What's wrong? What are you looking at?"

"Behind you…That's Dimitra Black, youngest niece to Phineas Nigellus Black. His portrait hangs in the head masters office. She was banished off the family tree for marrying a muggle." He whispered back.

"Okay…so…why are you staring at her?"

"Hermione…She's wearing the other stone around her neck."


	8. Chapter 8- The Second Stone

Chapter 8- The Second Stone

Monday, April 8th, 1912 01:35pm

Draco was speechless. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. Right behind Granger, was the second stone. It seemed like their luck just got better. They wouldn't have to search all of England, when they come back from sailing across the world, to find the blasted little thing.

 _'But how do we get it? I wish there was a way to hear what they are saying.'_

"Malfoy?" She whispered leaning over the table. "What's wrong? What are you looking at?"

"Behind you…That's Dimitra Black, youngest niece to Phineas Nigellus Black. His portrait hangs in the head masters office. She was banished off the family tree for marrying a muggle." He whispered back.

"Okay…so…why are you staring at her?"

"Hermione…She's wearing the other stone around her neck."

He watched as Granger slowly turned in her chair. She quickly looked back at him with her eyes wide open. She reached into her bag and pulled out what looked like flesh colored string.

"Granger, what the fuck is that?" He asked still whispering as he looked around to make sure no one was watching them.

"Extendable ears." She began with a shrug. "They used to look like real ears but after the war, George Weasley revamped them due to complaints that the ears were too noticeable…Here."

She handed him one half of the string and started to look round. He was curious as to what the little lioness was doing but he didn't question her. He knew she had a plan and her plans usually end up going well, so he just watched her intently.

"Play along okay?"

He nodded his head in agreement and with another quick glance around the room, he saw her move her glass of wine closer to the edge of the table in front of her. She nodded her head at him signaling her plan was about to be set in motion and purposefully, almost looking like an accident, knocked her glass onto her lap.

"OH MY!" she cried out as she stood up from her chair. Taking that as his que, Draco stood up and put on a shocked face.

"My love! Are you okay? You have spilt your wine all over your beautiful gown!" He expressed.

He grabbed his napkin and started to wipe off her dress. She stared at him in confusion. He didn't know if it was because what he said was too much, or if it was because he was touching her again. Before he had a chance to think any more on the subject, the hostess from earlier came rushing over with a few napkins in her hand.

"Oh dear, you have ruined your gown ma'am." The hostess claimed as she started to wipe up the spilled drink.

"Do you have a restroom Miss? I need to clean myself up."

"Yes, yes of course. It's that way ma'am."

Pointing in the direction of the bathroom behind Granger, Draco finally caught on to what the plan was. She was using the distraction to halt the conversation so that they had time to eavesdrop. He watched as she discreetly placed the other half of the string by the table with Dimitra Black and walked to the bathroom.

 _'Woman is a bloody genius!'_

He shook his head as he let out a chuckle and sat back in his chair. The Hostess had finished cleaning up the mess and brought out a new glass when Granger finally reappeared, looking like nothing had happened.

 _'She must have charmed her dress.'_

She sat back down in her chair and motioned for Draco to hold the extendable ear up. Making sure no one was around the pair, they started to listen to the conversation that was being held behind them.

 _"-and that's why we need to go to America." Dimitra explained._

 _"We are just running away from our problems Demi. They will find us. You know this! Your family hates me and if they can convince you to change your mind about marrying a muggle, then they will banish you…I…I can't have that. I won't." They heard the man say._

 _"My love, oh my love. I will choose you always. If my family cannot accept you Robert, then I cannot accept them. We are leaving on the Titanic come Tuesday and I will not hear another word about it. We are going to start a new life in America. It's the land of opportunity you know? There are so many possibilities-"_

 _"But your uncle…he will come for the necklace. It is a family heirloom. They will not take kindly to you running away with me, but to take your family's' jewel with you…They will torture us."_

 _"Nonsense; they can banish me all they want but they will not lay a finger on us! This I promise you Robert. I love you and we are going to be together. We will start a new life, get married, and have many children. Taking the necklace with me is simply reassurance that they will not harm us."_

 _"Very well darling; it is a fact that I cannot win any argument with you. We will go to America. I will do what I can to make you happy."_

The pair looked at each other with wide eyes. Both stones are going to be on that ship. Their luck just keeps getting better. Now they just have to find a way to get the stones from the women. They needed a plan. But first, they needed to get their tickets. They finished their meal quickly, paid, and left the restaurant. They made their way down the packed street, stopping in front a transportation building. Draco held the door open for a few people behind him, including Granger, and walked up to the long line at the ticket booth.

"There are so many people here. This is going to take forever." He mentioned as he looked around for a shorter line.

He saw her nod her head as she studied the board above the booth with departure/arrival times and prices.

"Draco, the only cabins available are in Third Class."

He took a look at where she was pointing on the board and frowned.

"Damn it! It is bad enough we are stuck in the past; it's even worse to be stuck in Third Class. We aren't doing it! If we are going to America on a luxury liner, then we are doing it in First Class! I'll talk to the attendant. There has to be a few rooms not booked yet."

"I am perfectly okay with staying in Third Class, as long as there is a bed and food-"

"No! No wife of mine is going to be stuck at the bottom of the ship!"

She looked at him as if he had grown a second head. He didn't blame her though. He had pretty much just shouted and claimed her as his wife. He had started to see them as a couple; even if it was a fake relationship. He shook his head and cursed himself for thinking of Granger as more than a friend.

 _'He had to think logically. She was hot, yes, he could possibly fuck her but the chucking part would be hard. Not only were they stuck in 1912, but they would soon be stuck in 1912 on an enclosed ship, in the middle of the ocean! Besides, he needed her to get back to the present. If he tried to fuck her now then he would be screwed. No pun intended. He had to play it smart. He did want in her pants…well dress… but only because he hasn't had a good shag in a long while. He was overdue and she was the only person in this era who he knew. He didn't want to fuck some random chick, and he would be damned if he messed up his chances of getting home. No, he would wait. He wasn't desperate enough just yet. His hand was still perfectly capable of doing the job until they got home, then he would find a girl he's shagged before and release all his pent up energy.'_

"Draco, it's okay. Really…I don't mind."

Before he could respond, a couple, about middle age, came up to them. If he had been paying attention earlier he would have noticed that they were observing them and listening in on their conversation.

"Hello dears! My name is Sandra Dickinson. This is my Husband Paul." The woman said sweetly as she raised her hand to Draco.

He remembered how his mother always used to do the same gesture when she would introduce herself. So he gently took the woman's hand and lightly kissed the top of her gloved hand.

"It is very lovely to meet you Mrs. Dickenson. My name is Draco Lovegood and this is my wife Hermione. To what do we owe this pleasure?"

"Hermione? That is a beautiful name." Paul stated.

"Thank you sir!" Granger replied.

"Indeed, you are very pretty as well," Sandra began. "I am to assume you both just got married? You look so young. Oh how I miss my youth. Do you remember Paul how we used to sneak out in our 20's to see each other? Such wondrous days-"

"Dearest, you are going off again." Paul interrupted kindly.

"My apologies. Anyways," She started again as she waved a hand in a swatting manor, "we came over here because we overheard your predicament. I am truly sorry. I am only assuming that you are trying to buy tickets aboard the Titanic for a honeymoon?"

Draco thought about what the woman asked. It was the perfect lie. Why he needed to lie about that, he didn't know. But he hoped it would help them.

"Indeed. Unfortunately we are too late to book first class tickets. I wanted to treat my wife to the upmost luxuries. We will not be able to board the ship if we are to be stationed in steerage."

"Oh my!" She exasperated as she placed a hand on her chest. "That just will not do. But I do think that your luck is about to change. You see my husband's poor mother has fallen ill. We were about to exchange our First Class tickets seeing as we can no longer attend our trip. Would you be interested in buying them from us?"

Without a second thought, Draco agreed. He wanted to hug the woman but thought better of it. It wouldn't have been socially acceptable and the couple might change their minds if he attacked the woman in gratitude.

"Yes! Yes, of course! However could we thank you? You have save our honeymoon." He claimed excitingly.

"No need to thank us. We simply are happy to help. Young love is such a treasure. Marriage, even in the darkest of times, can see the light with good memories. They do not call it 'The Ship of Dreams' for just anything."

"Thank you so much Mr. and Mrs. Dickenson!" He heard Hermione say. "You are a true inspiration. How much do we owe you for the tickets?"

"Well. It is one of the parlor suites, B-60 located on B- Deck. It comes with a private promenade deck connected to the stateroom. It was not cheap, so to say, we paid 870 pounds." Paul explained.

Pulling out his new wallet, Draco handed over a thousand pounds to the man.

"A little extra for helping us, and on such short notice, we are extremely grateful for your kindness."

"It was our pleasure. Have a wonderful rest of your day." Sandra said as she and her husband bowed their heads and walked off.

X

Monday, April 8th, 1912 05:45pm

Hermione was astounded, to say the least. They got the tickets and found both of the stones locations. Their day was going well. Now they just needed to find a room to stay in for the next two nights. The duo walked to at least five different hotels, which were all booked up. It wasn't until they were near the bank they were at before, that they found a small building with one room available. It wasn't the nicest of rooms but it would have to do since the whole town was at capacity.

"I can't believe this day! It seems too good to be true." She expressed as she sat on the double bed.

The room was small. The floors were made of wood and it looked to have not been upgraded since the 1500's but it worked since they were only staying for two nights.

 _'At least the bed is comfortable.'_

"We shouldn't question it; otherwise it will turn out bad." Malfoy stated.

"You're right." She sighed. "So… now that we don't have a thousand things happening…can we talk about what happened this morning?"

She didn't really want to talk about the kiss; especially after such a long day, but she had so many questions burning in her brain that she just had to ask. She could see him tense up; knowing he didn't want to talk about it. It was awkward again. She figured since they would have to share another bed; they should work things out and they had gotten along so well during the day that she thought it wouldn't hurt to bring it up. She wanted to know why he did it.

 _'Did it mean anything to him? Would he do it again?'_

 _"_ Malfoy? We really need to talk about it. We are going to be sharing a room for the week in the middle of the Atlantic; I don't want things to be weird between us." She pleaded.

He ran his fingers through his hair.

 _'He looks so good doing that.'_

At that thought Hermione felt butterflies in her stomach. She turned her head away from him to hide her nervousness.

 _'He was attractive. She had to admit that. He had also been kind to her recently. He didn't have to buy her everything he did today. And he pretty much shouted to everyone that she was his wife. It didn't seem like pretend. He seemed serious about it; like he wasn't thinking before he spoke. She couldn't deny that it made her feel special when he said it. Maybe she was starting to like him more than a friend.'_

"Your right." He started. "Look…I'm sorry for kissing you, I was caught in the moment, it didn't mean anything, so you should just forget it happened. I already did. I don't like you… like that."

Hermione couldn't hide her frown a he said those words. She felt foolish for believing he could possibly like her. It had been so long since her break up with Ron, she thought that being in constant presence of someone who wasn't her ex or her best friend would help her move on. But the moment he said that their shared kiss didn't mean anything, she knew she was over Ron Weasley.

 _'Shit…she did like him…she was falling for Draco Malfoy…but he didn't like her back.'_

"Oh." Was all she could muster as she looked away from him again.

"Unless…Did it mean something to you Granger?"

She could feel the smirk radiating on his pale skin. A single uncontrollable tear slipped from her lashes and she bowed her head. She wiped it away quickly, but still said nothing. She couldn't. She had nothing to say. She knew he was going to make fun of her like he always used to do. Her blatant reaction to what he said was reason enough. She felt stupid. She wouldn't deny her feeling anymore. She had grown to like the Slytherin Prince that stood before her and she liked that kiss; more than she cared to admit. He had shown her a side of him no one has ever seen. A kind side, an almost protective side, and she fell for it. She had hoped that he had liked her somewhat as well, but it was a lie. He didn't like anyone but himself. His ego was too big for feelings.

 _'He was known at Hogwarts for being a 'Sex God'. You don't get that kind of title for having feelings.'_

Cursing herself, Hermione waited for the insults to start flying. She was so used to him picking on her that she was already prepared for them to come. She could handle them. She didn't really have a choice. They needed each other to get back to the present so she would just have to suck it up and pretend like that kiss didn't mean anything to her.

 _'Like, he didn't mean anything to her.'_

"Granger, I'm talking to you! Answer me damn it!"

"I DON'T KNOW!" She blurted out.

Now fulling hating herself for answering before she could think straight, she stood up from the bed and started walking to the door. She felt his hand grab her arm and he spun her around to face him. He loosened his grip somewhat when she faced him looking scared. She saw his face fall and he looked almost sad. But he fixed his expression quickly and went back to looking angry.

"Did that kiss mean something to you? Tell me!" He demanded.

She felt so small near him but without thinking she answered softly.

"Yes…but-"

She wanted to say more but his lips came crashing down into hers; hard. He seemed desperate; like he was searching for something he had lost, and found again. His hands cupping her face, he pressed harder into her. She closed her eyes and started to return his kiss. He lightened his lips on hers just enough to start biting her bottom lip. She opened her mouth and his tongue slipped in. They started to fight for dominance. He won and the next thing she knew, she was pinned to the wall. One of his hands stayed cupped to her face as the other made its way down her side. She slid her fingers through his hair and their kiss deepened. All thoughts erased from her head; she could only think about how wonderful he tasted.

"Apples…" she breathed out as he started a trail of pecks lining her jaw.

"What?" he asked confused; stopping for a moment to look at her.

"You taste like apples." She answered smiling.

She heard him chuckle as he went back to kissing her; his soft lips caressing hers. He pulled back slightly and started back on his trail down her neck. He felt amazing and her stomach was doing flip flops. She tilted her head to the side to give him better access and let out a soft moan.

He leaned into her more and she could feel his hard dick pressed up against her. He moved back to her lips and slipped both of his hands around her back. Grasping her ass, he lifted her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist. Still pinned to the wall, Hermione felt her dress rising up as he slipped a hand under it and started rubbing her through her panties. His kiss moved back to pecks on her neck as he moved her panties out of the way; slipping a finger inside her. She let out another soft moan and could feel him smile on her neck as he slipped a second finger in her; his thumb, rubbing her clit as he started thrusting his hand in and out. She lowered her head onto him; her heavy breath moistening his neck, seemed to turn him on more because his thrusting became faster; building her climax. Her hand cupped the back of his head as she held on to the pleasure between her legs; her lips lightly brushing his ear.

"Draco…I'm…I'm."

"Cum for me Hermione." He whispered to her.

She let out a loud moan as she released the best orgasm she had ever had. She saw stars and the world went white for a moment. He gave her some time to ride out the pleasure before she felt him pull back slightly and removed his fingers from inside her. Setting her down, her legs shook as she tried to secure her balance. After a few moments she gained feeling back in her limbs and let her hold on him go; he cupped her cheek and kissed her forehead. He looked down at her, with a look she had never seen before, as he spoke softly.

"I was lying to you earlier…It meant something to me too."


	9. Chapter 9- Make Each Day Count

Chapter 9- Make Each Day Count

Tuesday, April 9th, 1912 01:22am

Draco laid in bed with an arm behind his head, staring at the ceiling. He couldn't get over what he had done earlier. He thought it had all been a dream but the fact that Granger was asleep on his chest proved that it wasn't. They had had a fight, if you wanted to call it that. He told her that their kiss meant nothing to him and he didn't like her. But he did.

He realized it in the restaurant when they were eavesdropping on the couple. Dimitra had told Robert that she would choose him always; even though he was a muggle and she was a pureblood. He wanted that. He wanted to be able to choose who he married even if they were of a lower blood status. He had thought about all the women in his life that he could see himself with, but only one person kept popping up at the forefront of his mind. Hermione Granger.

He couldn't admit to the Gryffindor that he was starting to fall for her; let alone admit it to himself. He denied it all day; making up every excuse in the book. But then she brought up the kiss and he panicked. They had only been stuck together for a few days. It was too soon to have feeling for her. Then again he never had feelings for another girl before, it was all new to him; it terrified him. How was he supposed to know if it was too soon? He had known the girl for years, so it wasn't like she was some stranger. But his family would disapprove; possibly even disown him if they found out.

He was fine all day until she brought up the topic he was trying so hard to avoid. But as soon as his defense told her it meant nothing; he saw the frown form on her perfect lips. She didn't even try to hide it. He couldn't help but instantly regret saying anything. He wondered though, for a moment, if she liked him. So he asked her but she ignored him; which just pissed him off more. He had to know and he had to know right then and there. He didn't care about his parent's reaction anymore. He didn't care if he was banished off the family tree. He only wanted her, but if she didn't like him back, he would have to find a way to get over his new found feelings. He was dumbfound when she scream 'I don't know'. He wasn't expecting that answer. It wasn't what he wanted to hear. What made it worse was she then tried to walk away from him and his anger got the better of him.

He let slip a face of doubt, when he grabbed her arm; he didn't mean to scare her. Quickly realizing his mistake he fixed the expression and asked her the question again. He expected her to yell at him, hit him, hex him, something, but she didn't. Instead, she told him yes. That was the answer he had practically begged for. So he did the only thing he could think of, before she could change her mind. He kissed her; again. It was so fast and hard but he was desperate to get close to her. He was desperate for her. However, the kiss got out of hand and it turned into more than he anticipated.

He didn't want to fuck her. Not right away at least. He wanted to show her something he doubted she had ever seen or felt before. He wanted to take care of her and he had; not even worrying about his raging hard on that started to hurt. What he did, was about her. That moment, was for her and he couldn't have been happier.

He knew he had changed since the war but he never thought he had change that much. He was still a prick and he was still broken, but the woman that lay in his arms at the moment was slowly fixing him, without even realizing she was doing it. He never once thought that he would ever be this close to the brunette. If anyone had told him he would be stuck in the past, with his ex-enemy, and like it; he would have punched them in the face. Draco however, didn't know where they stood with each other. They had had a very hot, very steamy, snogging session; but he was still confused.

 _'Could they go further next time? Would there be a next time? Were they officially together now or were they just 'friends with benefits'? Would he make a good boyfriend? What about Astoria? What about his parents? What about the contract that forced him into a marriage in order to take over as Head of Household?'_

He couldn't take the questions that ran through his head anymore, so Draco slowly eased his arm out from under the sleeping girl, careful not to wake her and sat at the edge of the bed. Letting out a deep sigh he stood up and made his way to the window.

There weren't many people out during this time of night, but he did spot a young couple that looked like they were having an argument in front of a pub. He couldn't hear what they were saying but their body language said that they were in love. He could tell by the way the woman was crossing her arms but not fleeing from the man that was screaming at her. He could see it in the way the man realized his mistake and stroked the woman's cheek with such tenderness. Draco was in awe but reality hit him when he realized he could never have that. He couldn't have fights with Hermione and make up right after, like it never happened. The reason he could earlier was because he didn't have the pressure of his father beating down on him. He didn't have the anxiety of being forced into an arrange marriage. He was free here. He was free to not be a Malfoy.

He looked over at Hermione.

 _'She looks so beautiful.'_ he thought. But he shook his head because the logic said that this was only temporary.

 _'They were temporary. He would never be happy. Once they got back to the present he would take over as head and, to please his parents, he would marry a pureblood he didn't know, let alone love. He would never be with Hermione and that was a simple fact. She would run back to that Weasel and live her happily ever after, while he would be miserable.'_

And it was as this thought came into his head, he finally understood.

 _'She wasn't meant to be his destiny. Once they were back in their own time, they would never laugh nor smile together as they do here. No longer would he wake up next to her in the morning and feel his heart fill with warmth as he took in her beauty. They would not marry, argue, love, and grow old together.'_

His heart fell as these thoughts began to fill his head. It had only been a few days, but he could not stand the idea of living without her. And yet, despite this, he would risk it all if it meant her happiness. He blew out a deep breath and accepted the harsh reality of it all.

 _'He may not be able to have her in the present, but he will spend as much time as he could with her now.'_

He made his way back over the bed. Leaning over her, he softly stroked her cheek with the back of his hand.

"Make each day count." he whispered.

X

Tuesday, April 9th, 1912 08:43am

Hermione awoke to birds chirping outside the bedroom window. It was a peaceful sound that made her want to lie in bed all day, but that wasn't productive so she turned over to wake Draco. He wasn't there. His side of the bed was empty and cold, like he hadn't slept there at all. She was worried now that he had left her. After last night, she thought they could actually be more than friends.

 _'But did he regret it? Was he not really into her? Had that been his way of warming her up to get into her pants later?...Did he use her?'_

At that last question, she decided she wasn't going to let him use her like a toy.

 _'What he did last night was amazing and she had never had that kind of experience before, even with Ron, but it would never happen again. He could call her names, tease her, even hex her, but he would never break her heart. She wouldn't be able to handle that kind of torture. Ron had already succeeded in doing that to her. She would be damned if she let it happen again.'_

Getting out of bed, Hermione tamed her wild hair into soft curls with a flick of her wand. She walked over to where they had put their luggage last night and picked out a white and purple dress. She started pulling her nightgown over her head. Her face was covered by the silk fabric, when she heard the door click shut. Freezing in the uncomfortable and compromising position; she heard someone laughing at her.

"Stuck Granger?" she heard the voice chuckle.

Pulling the nightgown back down, she spun around and looked straight at Malfoy with a scowl on her face. Thanking Godric that he walked in when her back was to the door and didn't see her exposed chest.

"Where have you been?" She asked a little more rudely than she initially intended.

"Whoa, someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning."

"Sorry….I thought-"

He looked at her with a raised brow as she let her sentence trail off.

"Thought what? That I left you? You'll have to do more than talk in your sleep Granger to get rid of me. I don't scare that easily."

"That's debatable." She mumbled as she rolled her eyes.

"What?"

"Nothing! I said I don't talk in my sleep."

"Yes you do. Usually it's just gibberish but sometimes you have coherent sentences."

"Really? What do I say?" she asked as she crossed her arms.

"Not much. One time you were yelling at Crookshanks to stop chasing Weasel's rat."

"Oh." She giggled letting out a breath she didn't know she was holding. She was relieved she hadn't said something much worse….like his name.

"Anyway…I got these for you."

He pulled out a bouquet of red roses hidden behind his back. It was unexpected. Hermione had never seen or heard of Draco ever giving flowers to any girl she had known him to be with. She had also never received flowers from anyone; not even from her ex or Harry. The gesture though, was more than enough to help her get over her recent anger, but she was still untrusting of his intentions.

"Draco their beautiful, thank you." She exclaimed with a smile as he handed her the bouquet.

She grabbed her wand from the nightstand and transfigured a candle into a glass vase. Using the Aguamenti charm to fill it with water; she smelled the roses before putting them into the vase.

 _'They smell so wonderful. Did he know roses were her favorite flower?'_

"So…" he started, as he ran a hand through his hair. He started rubbing the back of his neck like he wanted to ask something but was afraid of her answer. He looked extremely nervous.

"Since we don't have to really do anything until tomorrow;" he continued. "I was wondering if you…if you wanted to go on a date with me today?"

Hermione stood frozen in place for a moment.

 _'Did he just ask her out on a date? So…does that mean he wasn't using her? He actually wanted to be with her?'_

"Uh…I'm sorry what?" she asked confused.

She had heard what he said but it wouldn't register in her brain that he was the one who had actually said it. She needed to hear it again to make sure she wasn't going crazy.

"Oh, uh…Do you not want to?"

He looked upset and it made her feel sympathy for him. She didn't want to upset him; she was just in a state of shock from all the kindness pouring out of him.

"No I do!" she frantically replied. "I do. Yes, I'll go on a date with you."

She saw him smile widely and it made her heart flutter. She couldn't believe that it was her who put that smile on his face. Just a few days ago they hated each other and now they are going on their first real date. The whole thing just seemed like a dream to her. A dream though, she didn't want to wake up from.

"I uh, have a few things already planned, so I'll let you get dressed and I'll meet you out front."

"Okay." she agreed while her cheeks flushed bright red. "Give me ten, fifteen minutes."

With that, he nodded his head and with a grin still on his face, he walked out the door. Hermione stood in the same spot for a few minutes, not wanting to move so she could register everything correctly.

 _'He had not only got her her favorite kind of flowers, but he had asked her out and already had a date planned! Maybe he really was being genuine. Maybe, just maybe, he was the man she always knew he could be. Without all the added pressure the present held, he was finally being himself. For once, Draco Malfoy was finally not acting like a Malfoy. Perhaps she could give him the benefit of the doubt? He was being sweet and kind and he generally seemed to care. He was so unlike the boy she grew up with. Maybe, for the time being, she could spend every day showing him how good of a person he really was. Maybe she could show him how much she was actually starting to like him.'_

With that thought Hermione grabbed the dress she picked out earlier and started to change out of her nightgown. Once she was done she made her way over to the floor length mirror, to charm some light make up on her face. She was going on a date with Malfoy and she was determined to make sure she looked presentable.

 _'Would he even care how she looked? She hadn't looked her best the past few days and he seemed perfectly fine with it. So why did she care so much now if he thought she looked good or not. To be fair though, it was a first date, and people are always nervous on first dates.'_

She charmed her hair into a low messy bun; very similar to how she wore it at the ball. Putting on wide brim Edwardian hat, with faux Iris's; she fixed the few stray hairs that fell in her face and took one last look in the mirror. She wanted to remember later how just how special this day was going to be for her. Even if it went badly she would still want to remember how she felt that that moment. She took a deep breath as she made a promise to herself.

 _'From now until they return home; she would make every day special. From now until then, she would make sure Draco Malfoy was happy. If he was happy, then she was happy.'_

"Make each day count." she declared softly as she let out her breath, turned on her heels, and walked out the door.


	10. Chapter 10- I Don't Hate You

Chapter 10- I Don't Hate You

Tuesday, April 9th, 1912 09:02am

Draco sat on a bench outside of the small hotel he was staying at, waiting for Hermione to come down. His leg was nervously shaking as his thoughts raced a mile a minute.

 _'She had said yes. He never expected her to agree to a date with him.'_

That morning he had gone out for a walk around the town to clear his head; when he saw a flower stand. He was never one to buy flowers for a girl, but something about Hermione made him want to buy her everything he could. Picking out a dozen red roses, he decided that he want treat her to a day out as well. They had already gotten their tickets and luggage to board the ship; there wasn't really anything else for them to do, so he picked out a few places to take her and walked back to their room.

Sitting down was not helping his nerves so he stood up and started pacing the sidewalk. Pacing always seemed to help him calm down but it wasn't working this time. He saw the main door open a few times and thought it might be her, but it was always some random person. One lady had actually stopped to ask him if he was okay because he looked pale; not realizing that was just his actual skin color.

The door finally opened and Hermione walked out wearing a purple and white dress with a matching hat. Draco paused his walking and stared; mesmerized but her beauty.

"Wow, you look… you look beautiful." he proclaimed putting his hands in his pockets.

She had looked at him like he was crazy.

"Thank you. No one…No one has ever called me beautiful before." she replied blushing.

"Really? Not even Weasel or Scarhead?"

"Please don't call them that. And no not even from them. It took Ron until the Yule ball to even figure out I was a girl and Harry has only ever called Ginny beautiful."

"Well they are both gits, because you are beautiful and this era most definitely works for you."

"Thank you Draco." She replied smiling.

His pride swelled at the sight her smiling.

 _'He had done that. He had made her happy.'_

"So are you ready for our date?" he asked.

"Yes." she responded excitingly. "Where are we going?"

"It's a surprise. You'll just have to trust me." He stated cheekily.

He held out his arm for Hermione to take. She seemed almost hesitant at first but slipped her arm through his and they started walking down the block. He brought them to the restaurant they ate the night before, to have breakfast. There weren't many other places else to eat at, given that a person had to have money in order to go. Draco had figured that out when he asked a man, who was dressed in middle class attire, that morning, for recommendations on places to dine at. The man had told him that most people don't have the kind of money to always eat out so they get their groceries from a market a few blocks away.

Opening the door to the restaurant for his date, he noticed the host was a man this time, which made him glad, since he really didn't want to have to deal with the flirty woman from yesterday. The host led them to a table, close to where they sat before. Draco pulled out Hermione's chair for her and took his own seat. After ordering their breakfast they sat in silence for a while.

 _'Well this is awkward. Maybe he should ask her something?'_

"So-"

"What's your favorite color?" she asked interrupting him.

He wasn't expecting that kind of question. It threw him off a bit but he got his thoughts together and leaned back in the chair.

"Blue."

"Hmm, I was expecting green."

"Why? Because I was sorted into Slytherin? That's a little presumptuous, don't you think?"

"That's not what I meant."

"Then what did you mean?" he asked rising a brow.

"Nothing…nothing, I just thought you seemed like a green kind of guy. That's all." She claimed sounding a little defensive.

Understanding that he came off a little defensive himself, he decided not to make things worse.

"So what is your favorite color?"

"Green actually." She chuckled.

"Well I guess I'm the one being presumptuous now, because I was expecting red." He grinned.

"So," he began with another question. "Can I ask you why you and the Weas-Ron broke up? I figured since we are on a date I should make sure you guys are really over."

He didn't want to bring up his arranged marriage to her so for the time being he was going to simply ignore it. He saw her take a deep sigh as she fiddled with her napkin.

"Yeah I guess…it's kind of a long story though."

"I have time." He shrugged, but then realized she looked a little sad. "I mean if you're comfortable telling me."

"I uh… okay, you know how in the war, people lost loved ones?"

He nodded his head but wondered how losing loved ones had anything to do with what he asked.

"Well, I don't know if you remember but Ron had lost his older brother Fred, who happened to be George's twin…George had fallen into a deep depression and he couldn't find his way out. He had lost his brother, his best friend… his lifeline. The Weasely's had tried everything they could to help him, but nothing seemed to work. They were going through their own grief you know, over Fred's death and couldn't give him what he really needed. The only thing they could do was give him his space."

She paused for a brief moment as a single tear slid down her cheek. She lowered her head as she wiped it away and continued.

"After three years, the family had learned to cope with the loss of the missing twin, but…but George still had not. So Ron being Ron," she explained with a hopeless laugh, "decided to quit working as an Auror and started working at the shop, to help out. It was a full time job, helping his brother, but he said it was worth it. He told me, that even though George seemed to be improving, it wasn't enough. So Ron moved out of our apartment and moved in with his brother. I…I barely saw him anymore. The only time we talked was when I would stop by the shop for a visit."

She looked up at him and exhaled softly.

"One day, after a visit about a year ago, I was about to Appartate home, when Ron stopped me. He looked so sad and defeated. I was expecting him to tell me that something had happened to George when…when he told me he wanted to break up. He said that he couldn't give me the love and attention I deserved anymore and that he was…he was sorry he couldn't make me happy. I was devastated. My whole world was crashing down on me. I tried to convince him that I understood and that, we could make it work but he was adamant. I…I didn't want to live alone so I sold the apartment and moved in with Harry and Ginny. I haven't seen or heard from Ron since."

Draco's heart felt heavy after hearing everything Hermione just told him. She was always so strong-willed and he had only ever seen her fall apart a handful of times. Usually when he would tease her but even he knew that a person as strong as she was would have a hard time getting over a broken heart. He regretted asking her. He wanted to know but now that he did, he didn't know what to do. He didn't want to pity her; that was the last thing she would want, or need.

"Anyway," She continued, "I have moved on and I'm happy again."

Their food had arrived before Draco could say anything. He was glad for the distraction, and wanted to move on to another topic that wasn't so depressing. He placed his napkin on his lap and started to cut into his eggs.

"So…Are you excited to go on the Titanic tomorrow?" He asked, hoping to cheer her up some. It seemed to have worked because her frown had turned into a beaming smile.

"Oh yes! I can't wait. I've never been on a ship before. I'm excited I finally get to experience it. Although, I am a little bothered that the ship seems so familiar to me, but can't place it. I have never forgotten anything I have ever read before." she perplexed.

"Don't worry yourself too much about it. You don't want to give yourself and antisum."

"You mean Aneurysm?" She chuckled. "Since when do you know muggle medical terms?"

He let out a small laugh and shook his head.

"I went to school with muggle-borns too you know. You tend to hear things."

She let out a giggle as she took a bite of her toast.

They finished the rest of their breakfast in a more uplifting vibe. They joked around with each other as they reminisced about their days at Hogwarts before heading out. He realized he forgot his jacket though, so he told her he would be right back and headed back into the restaurant to grab it.

Feeling a little better about cheering Hermione up, he walked her down the street a few more blocks stopping in front of a sizeable building. He watched as she looked up at the store name written in large bold letters, waiting, until she realized where he had taken her.

"The Southampton Historical Library…Oh!" She beamed while hopping up and down like a little kid. "I can't believe it! Oh Draco, Thank you!"

She pecked him on the cheek before stepping through the open door he held for her. He expected her to be happy to go to a library but he didn't expect her to be this excited. He was proud of this achievement and made a mental note to hopefully, one day, show her the library at the manor. He knew if she loved this place she would definitely enjoy the books his family owned; even if he only showed it to her as friends.

X

Tuesday, April 9th, 1912 10:25am

Hermione couldn't contain her excitement. It wasn't so much that Draco had taken her to a library; it was more the fact that he had taken the time to think about what she would like. She highly doubted anyone would do something like this for her. She had to basically force her friends back at Hogwarts, to even visit the place she loved so much.

As she stepped into the lobby she couldn't help but let out moan. She inhaled the parchment vapors as she took in the view. The library was definitely old looking; like it used to be a cathedral at one point. There were high arched ceilings and second story balcony that wrapped around three quarters of the room. The tall wooden bookshelves were placed on both levels and were packed with books that she just couldn't wait to look at. A reading room sat to the left, on the lower level, near the front entrance. There weren't many people around but she was okay with that.

 _'The less people the better her reading experience.'_

Too excited to wait she grabbed Draco's hand and practically dragged him down the long hallway to the front desk to receive their visitors pass.

"Good Morning! How may I help you today?" The librarian asked cheerfully.

"Good Morning! We would like visitor passes please." Hermione stated enthusiastically.

"Ah, I see someone has a love for books." Hermione smiled and nodded her head. "Yes, one moment please. I need you to fill out this form with your names and sign the waiver down below. It states that no book is to be removed from the premise and that you will return any and all books you take out, as you found them, in proper condition."

She nodded her head in agreement and filled out the form for both herself and Draco and handed it back to the Librarian. The woman then gave the duo each a slip of parchment with the words 'Visitors Pass' written in bold at the top.

"Thank you for visiting The Southampton Historical Library. I do hope you enjoy your time here." The librarian said with a smile as she went back to cataloging her files.

Hermione turned towards Draco with a wide grin, stretching from ear to ear.

"So where do you want to look first?" He asked as he put one hand in his pocket.

 _'He looks so proper. It's kind of a turn on.'_

"Let's start over there." she responded as she pointed in the direction of a non-fiction section.

After about an hour, she had finally picked out a few books on the Royal Family and one titled 'History of Southampton' and made her way to the reading room. She noticed Draco had also picked out a few books of his own. It didn't surprise her too much since she knew that he did his fair share of reading as well. Not as much as she did, but he still read. They sat down on a mahogany sofa with crimson upholstery and started reading in silence.

A few hours later Hermione broke the silence in hopes that Draco might be interested in what she has read so far.

"Did you know that the City of Southampton has been around since the Stone Age? There is even a Tudor House that was built here in 1495. It was threatened to be demolished in 1886 so philanthropist William Spranger bought the house, and for the past 12 years he has been remodeling it to turn it into a museum…oh," she sighed sadly, "it's not set to open until July 1912."

"Don't worry Granger. When we get back you can always visit it. I'm sure it's still there." he claimed as he set his book down.

She sighed heavily as she following suite. They made their way back to the library's main area to put their books away.

"I was really hoping to visit the museum in this time period. It seems so interesting and I know that if I go in the present, it will look too modern. I wanted to see it before time altered it too much."

"Then let's go!" he exclaimed as he placed his books back on the shelves.

"What? Draco we can't. It's still under construction and three months away from opening. They would never let us in."

"Weren't you the one who broke about a dozen school rules before? Why not add breaking and entering to that list?"

"I already broke that rule remember. Harry, Ron, and I broke into Gringotts."

"Shit, I forgot that was you. Damn woman is there any rule you haven't broken?" He asked cheekily as he leaned a shoulder against the bookshelf crossing his arms.

"There are plenty and I don't plan on doing them anytime soon either. The war is over, so there is no need to be a criminal anymore."

"Well, the way I see it, breaking into a museum to have a tour isn't the worst thing you have done and it's not nearly as dangerous as Gringotts. So we are going. I don't have anything planned for our date until later tonight anyway."

With that, he reached for her handbag, took out the visitors pass, and walked to the front desk. She had to admit that the idea of sneaking into the Tutor house was a little exciting. For once she was committing a crime that didn't have the added weight of the war resting on her shoulders.

 _'It wasn't a life or death situation. There was no Voldemort, no snatchers, no fallen ministry, and nothing that wanted to kill her. He did have a point. Visiting the Tudor House wasn't the worst thing she has done. Maybe she would have fun, but she would not break another rule again after this. She was getting too good at it and it went against everything she believed in.'_

"Ready?" he asked holding out an arm for her to take.

"Might as well." She answered as she slipped her arm through his and made their way to the exit.

X

Tuesday, April 9th, 1912 02:44pm

The pair had gotten lost a few times on their way to the Tutor House and much to Draco's dismay they asked for directions. Well Hermione did. He was adamant to get there without having to talk to any strangers.

 _'The less people who knew where they were going, the better.'_

Finally heading in the right direction, they walked another fifteen minutes before reaching the building he knew Hermione wanted to so badly visit. The building itself was very large; about three stories tall. He was expecting something a little smaller, but he figured that since the place was a decent size, it would help pass the time better until he could take her to the last spot of their date.

The Tudor House sat on Bugle Street opposite of St. Michael's Square in heart of what the locals called Old Town. From the outside the build looked finished with its timber framing. Its white walls held dark brown beams that were placed evenly and vertical on the surface. Some beams crisscrossed with each other on one of the section that Draco could see, and the bottom section was colored in a lighter brown shade offsetting the white. It made him curious as to what the inside looked like.

They walked to the back of the building to find a way inside where people couldn't see them. There were no workers around so it made sneaking in a little easier. However the solid back gate was locked and he cursed himself for forgetting the unlocking charm. He saw Hermione look around before pulling out her wand.

"Alohomora." She whispered and he heard the gate click open.

"You're really good at committing crimes." He smirked.

She gave him a warning face before turning back to the door.

They both took one last look around before proceeding through. He closed the door behind him as they entered. As he turned back around he ran straight into the Gryffindor Princess. She didn't seem to mind and she wasn't knocked off balance, so he rested his hands on her shoulders and looked around to see what made her stop.

They were standing at the edge of a beautiful garden. It was nothing compared to his mother's, back home, but the small garden had a romantic feel to it. He thought it was quaint and Hermione seemed to have loved it.

 _'Wait until she sees my mother's garden. Well…if I can get my parents out of the house first.'_

"It's so pretty." She whispered as she made her way down a small path. "Can you imagine someone having a wedding here? The pictures would be to die for."

Draco smirked at the thought of a wedding but instantly frowned knowing his wedding would be nothing he dreamt of. Not wanting to ruin the rest of the day, he shook the thought from his head, took Hermione hand, and walked towards the back door of the house. It of course was also locked but his lovely date took it upon herself to unlock it for them. They stepped in and instantly felt like they were thrown into the past; again.

"Whoa! Talk about a time jump within a time jump. This place looks ancient." He declared." What year did you say this was place was built?" he asked walking around the large kitchen they were standing in.

"1495. It was redone many times since but this…this definitely looks to have been untouched. It reminds me so much of Hogwarts and how it must have looked back in the 16th century." She explained taking off her large hat.

"We didn't actually time jump again did we? Because that would be really shitty."

"No. There are roped stanchions blocking off rooms." She stated, pointing at a velvet rope that was placed in between a door's frame. "That wouldn't be there if we were back in the early 1500's."

"That's a relief. I can only handle being thrown into the past once. Twice, I would probably lose my mind."

"Like you haven't already?" she teased.

"Ha-ha. I would have to be barmy to get along with you wouldn't I?" he joked.

"Touché, but we all go a little mad sometimes." She claimed as she shrugged her shoulders and continued admiring the room.

They had made their way through out the house, visiting multiple rooms, including ones still under renovations. Draco had to convince Hermione earlier, that it wouldn't hurt to step over one of the ropes, to get a better view of the house's drawing room. She seemed determined to not break anymore rules, but he threw that idea right out the window and stepped over the barrier. She followed suit reluctantly but seemed to be enjoying herself. After touring the location for about three hours, they decided to take their leave.

"That was wonderful. I can't believe we did that, it was definitely worth the risk. There is so much history in there. Thank you Draco." She praised.

"Anytime." He started, as he rubbed the back of his neck. "So…are you ready for the last part of our date? I know we skipped lunch so you must be hungry."

"Does that mean we are going to dinner then?"

"Something like that." He grinned. "So are you ready?"

"Of course! Lead the way."

X

Tuesday, April 9th, 1912 06:28pm

Hermione was in utter disbelief. The date was going better than she ever expected it to. They had had an amazing breakfast, visited a glorious library, created a little mischief breaking into the Tudor House, and now she was standing on a low dock looking down at a blanket set up for a romantic candlelit dinner, overlooking the water. There was a picnic basket sitting in the center next to two long stemmed lit candles. A single stemmed rose sat in a small vase, giving off a romantic feel between two china plates; waiting for someone to use them.

"Draco…h…how did you manage all this?"

"So you like it?" he questioned nervously.

"Do I li…Yes of course! It's beautiful! I've…No one's ever done something like this for me before."

"There is always a first for everything. I'm glad you like it. I paid a busboy at the restaurant this morning, when I forgot my jacket, to have it all set up around 6:30 tonight. He seemed a little overjoyed at helping after I gave him fifty pounds."

"Fifty pounds? Draco that's a lot of money in this time! It takes a year for a third class worker in this era to make twenty-five pounds. You paid the kid two years' worth of wages to set up a dinner on a dock!"

He shrugged his shoulders, like it was no big deal, and held out his hand to help her sit down. He then sat down himself opposite her and started opening the basket; reveling its contents. He pulled out a small platter of grapes and cheese, two chicken cordon bleu dishes, some chocolate covered strawberries for dessert, and a bottle of champagne.

"Now," She began, taking a bite of the cheese placed before her. "What if I would have said no to this date? All this would have been for not."

"I would have either dragged you down here or came alone and ate it." He stated jokingly as he poured them both a glass of champagne. "Besides I knew, even you wouldn't pass up a picnic by the water that overlooked a sunset."

She didn't even realize the setting sun was in perfect view, until he mentioned it. Hermione stared in wonder at the bewitching horizon and took notice of the storm clouds brewing in the distance.

 _'This date was perfect. Almost, too perfect.'_

She didn't want to question his motives any further so she relaxed a little and started in on her food. Once they were finished eating. She stood up, grabbed the strawberries and head to the end of the dock. Sitting down, she removed her shoes and dipped her feet into the cold water. She shivered for a moment before Draco had come up and placed his jacket around her arms.

"Thanks." She said gratefully.

He took a seat beside her and removed his own shoes and socks to dip his feet in the water.

"I can see why you shivered. This water is freezing." He exclaimed.

"You get used to it after a while. I don't plan to keep my feet in here that long though. Just long enough to watch the sun set. I don't want to lose a toe due to hypothermia." She chuckled.

"Did you enjoy your day?" he asked taking a strawberry on the plate she was holding.

"I did. It was probably the best day I've ever had. But it looks like it about to rain."

"A little rain never hurt anyone. But I'm glad you enjoyed your day. Now any other bloke who comes along won't be able to top it." He said smugly.

"Who says I'll date another guy after this?"

"Granger…I should probably tell you the truth. After…after we get back to the present…we can't be together." He explained lowering his head a bit.

Her face fell and he immediately looked to regret saying anything.

"I know. There is too much baggage after the war. Your family still hates me and I know Harry, if not Ginny as well, would hex us both back to this century."

"That's not what I mean Hermione. We can be friends. I'd... I'd liked to be friends with you, if you'd have me. I don't care what my parents think. But…we can't be together, because…" he paused.

She didn't know why he seemed reluctant to finish but she knew whatever he was about to say would be bad.

"Because…what? What is it Draco?"

"Because…I am engaged to be married." He confessed.

Her eyes went wide and her mouth created and 'O'. She felt sick to her stomach and thought she was about to puke up her dinner as a crack of lighting filled the sky. Finally gathering her thoughts together she managed to speak.

"I…WHAT?" she screamed as she took her feet out of the water and stood up. "YOU TOOK ME OUT ON A DATE DRACO! YOU MADE OUT WITH ME LAST NIGHT AND DID THINGS TO ME AND YOU'RE…YOU'RE…YOU'RE FUCKING ENGAGED! HOW COULD YOU?"

He stood up abruptly and faced her as a roll of thunder rumbled above. It's rain clouds finally releasing a flow of water upon them.

"It's arranged! I am being forced into it. I don't even know the girl! God damn it Granger, I never thought this would happen. I never thought I would fall for you. I never wanted to get married this way!"

"THAT DOESN'T CHANGE THE FACT THAT YOU ARE STILL ENGAGED!" She shouted above the rain that was now falling harder on them.

 _'How could he do this? No one deserves to be cheated on and she was the girl he was cheating on his fiancée with!'_

"You know what…FINE!" He began. "I can't do this! Not with you! I shouldn't have said anything. I thought that maybe since I couldn't have you in the present that I would make the most of the time we had here. But I was lying to myself! We will get on that ship tomorrow, get the stones, and go back to hating each other! It's what you want isn't it? Otherwise why the fuck are we even having this conversation! This whole day was just a sham to you wasn't it? To make me do things to you again that no other man would ever do! You're just a little tramp who takes pleasure in other people's feelings-"

"MALFOY!" She screamed before he could finish his tantrum.

"WHAT? WHAT GRANGER?"

"You don't mean this! This isn't you!" she exclaimed.

The rain was now hitting her face hard and they were both drenched but neither one of them seeming to care.

"Are you bloody insane?" he yelled with the wave of his hand. "Where the fuck, have you been? This was always me! Nothing I do or say will ever change your mind about me so…just give it a rest! This was a mistake! YOU HATE ME! AND YOU ALWAYS WILL! THIS ENGAGEMENT IS JUST A WAY FOR YOU TO ABANDON ME!"

"Is that what you think? God Malfoy don't you dare turn this around and make yourself the victim. I have every right to be mad right now. You turned me into a side piece without even telling me. And you wait until the end our date to finally say something, ruining the whole evening! It seems like that's something you're good at, finally attempting to be happy, just to shove it away when things finally get real! You're a bloody idiot and a coward!"

"A COWARD! FUCK YOU GRANGER!" he yelled in outrage. "HOW DARE YOU CALL ME A COWARD, YOU FILTHY LITTLE MUDBLOOD!"

Hermione was beyond shocked, if there was even such a thing. That was the last thing she ever expected Malfoy to say to her. She didn't know what to do. Her body was frozen. She couldn't move, couldn't think, and she couldn't breathe, as tears formed in her copper eyes. It was like she was having an out of body experience and she couldn't connect back to her body.

He seemed to have realized his mistake as he stared at her in horror. He wiped a hand down his face removing the water as he let out a deep breath.

"I…I'm sorry Hermione…I…I didn't mean-"

He cut his sentence short and started to walk away from her. She was finally able to think once he was about twenty feet away from her.

"I don't hate you." She confessed.

He spun around to look at her and she could see the heart break written all over his features. The rain was good for washing away things, but there was no washing away the past. There was nothing to take away the pain they have both, just inflicted on each other. She didn't want to start a fight with him. It wasn't until that moment, that she realized she didn't want to walk away from him.

 _'She might not love him, but she cared deeply for him. She had to find the right words to let him know she wasn't going anywhere.'_

"What?" He asked confused.

"…I don't hate you Draco…I just…hate what you've done."

He looked at her and she could see his bottom lip start to quiver. Taking in a deep breath; she knew she had to choose her next words carefully.

"You have done a lot of stupid things Malfoy. You picked on me and my friends almost my whole life, you let death eaters into the school, you got Dumbledore killed, and you took Voldemort's side. You were an arrogant prat who was forced into a life you didn't want." She began as the rain pelted around them. He was about to interrupt her, but she held up a hand to stop him.

"Let me finish…You have done so many horrible things Draco, but can you really say it was you, who did them? The real you? The one who told Bellatrix that you couldn't recognize Harry, when we were caught by snatcher and brought to the manor? The one who cried in the bathroom, in sixth year, after the mishap with Katie Bell? The one who told me he was sorry for what his aunt did to me?...The one who just apologized for calling me a mudblood?" she took a step forward. "I don't hate you Draco. I never have…I just hate what you've done"

She gave him moment to speak, but he just stood there, looking at her, while he let the rain drown him. The seconds ticked by and she was done waiting for his response. She was wet and cold and tired of arguing. She slowly turned to pick up her handbag when she saw him finally move, out of the corner of her eye. He was coming towards her; his long legs clearing the space between them in a matter of a few steps. She turned back around to face him and was taken aback for a second. His hands grabbed the sides of her face as his lips collided into hers. Her heart melted as she kissed him back, and she realized that this kiss meant so much more to them than any, they have previously shared. This kiss was filled with passion, with desire, and she decided right then that she didn't care about a fiancée from the present. All she cared about was the time she would spend here, in the past, with him.

He pulled away from her lips slightly and looked her straight in her puffy red eyes. He was studying her face and she could see the determination in his eyes.

"You mean it?" He asked.

She couldn't find her voice, so she nodded her head, and he kissed her again.

* * *

 **I want to note that there is an actual historical building mentioned in this chapter. I have never visited it and the research I have done on it does not tell me the layout of the building, so I made some things up.**


	11. Chapter 11- Falling Through The Stars

***WARNING- PART 1 OF THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS SEXUAL CONTENT- READ AT YOUR OWN RISK***

 **This is the first sexual content scene I have ever written so please go easy on me. It was nerve-wracking writing it. I still hope you enjoy it!**

Chapter 11- Falling Through the Stars

Tuesday, April 9th, 1912 08:33pm

Draco recalled the fight he and Hermione had a few hours earlier. He was pissed at himself for calling her a mudblood. He was so angry at her and he was angry at himself for bringing up his engagement, at the end of their date that the word just spilled from his lips; he couldn't control it. He regretted the fight deeply, but he didn't regret the after math. She told him she never hated him. He was in such disbelief, that all he could do was stand there, looking at her. He originally wanted to walk away from her after the mistake he made and her list of shit he had done, but then she made that confession and all anger was wiped from his system. It wasn't until she turned around to leave him, that he was shaken from his frozen trance.

After he kissed her, his thoughts raced and he wondered if she really meant it. Once she confirmed she did, he realized they were just like the fighting couple he saw the night before in front of the pub. He wanted to be like them. Fight with a passion but then quickly make up like nothing had happened. He had gotten that not long ago. He had finally, for once in his life, gotten what he wanted.

 _*Flashback*_

They had cleaned up the soaked picnic with a simple charm. They opted to not wear their wet shoes since it was still raining, so they walked barefoot back to the hotel room in silence. Once the door was securely closed Draco placed a silencing spell up, took two large steps towards Hermione, and kissed her with all the passion he could muster. She opened her mouth for him to deepen the kiss and he didn't hesitate to comply with her. He pushed her up against the same wall as last time and lifted her up so her legs could wrap around his hips. Her hands entwined in his wet hair and she let out a soft moan into his mouth. It made his dick hard and he wanted all of her; tonight.

He carried her to the bed and gently placed her on her back. He ripped the tie off his neck throwing it to the floor, and started to unbuttoned his shirt, as she watched him from the bed. He leaned back down after all the buttons were undone and kissed her again, only to break the kiss after a few seconds, to start a trailing pecks across her jaw and down her neck. He knew he found her sweet spot when her nails started scratching his chest, making their way down his hard abs. He continued to suck that little spot until the pleasure of the scratching became too much and he almost came in his pants. He needed to slow the experience down, he wanted to the moment to last. He removed his lips from under her ear and leaned off her. He wanted to see her in all her glory, so he ripped the dress from its buttons; ignoring her small protest.

 _'He could always repair it or buy her a new one.'_

He looked at her in awe, as she lay there, half naked in front of him. He couldn't get enough. He wanted to take her all in; memorize every detail of her alluring body.

 _'She is so beautiful and she was his. Temporarily but his all the same.'_

Noticing his stare, she started to cover up her bare chest, but he grabbed her arms to stop her. He kissed her again; releasing her arms, her hands went back to being entangled in his hair. He removed his shirt fully and undid his belt buckle without breaking the intimate kiss. He started back on his trail down her neck but this time he kept going down. Slowly kissing her collar bone first, and then the top of her chest. He could feel the vibrations of the light moans she was letting out and took that as his que to continue. He slowly kissed his way down her chest making his way to her left breast. Cupping her right breast in his hand and he massaged it as he slowly started to suck on the left. She let out a loud moan as his lips popped around the hard nipple, so he treated the right breast the same way; savoring the taste of her.

He continued his path down her body; kissing and licking her right side as he went. She shivered slightly when he reached her ribs and unconsciously grinded his hips into her leg. He made his way back to her stomach and framed her belly button with his tongue before giving it a soft kiss. She lightly giggle and he couldn't take it anymore. He had to taste her, so he slipped his fingers into her panties and slowly eased them off of her. Grasping her right ankle, he trailed small licks and kisses down her leg, stopping just before her cleanly shaven, wet pussy.

 _'She smells so good.'_

Draco licked his lips as he traced her clit with his fingers and down her opening. Hermione let out another moan and he pushed a finger inside her. Her hips bucked at the pleasure so he removed his hand from her leg and placed it on her flat stomach, to hold her hip in place. Licking his lips again he lowered his head and kissed her clit has he slowly started to thrust his finger in her. Once he was satisfied with kissing her, he started to lick her sensitive area in small circles while placing a second finger inside of her. She put her hands on the top of his head as she started pushing her hips into is face. He removed his fingers and replaced them with his tongue. Her breathing was heavy and she was moaning louder now. He was glad he put a silencing charm up. He knew she was about to cum, so putting his fingers back inside of her, he thrusted them fast; in and out as he continued to tease her clit with his tongue. He felt her walls tighten around his fingers as she let out a screaming orgasm.

He let her ride out her climax before removing his hand and licking up her juices.

 _'She tastes amazing!'_

He stood up but he felt her hands grab his pants as she pulled him down to the bed. She flipped him on his back and straddled him. His dick was so hard now it hurt. He wanted to be inside her and he wanted it now, but she had other ideas. She unbuttoned his pants and slid her shelf off him so she was kneeling on the ground. He lifted his hips to help her as she pulled his pants down. He thought she was going to ride him but instead, he felt a warm wet tongue, trail up his rock hard dick. He lifted his head to see and was dumbfound when he realized what she was about to do. She looked up at him with seductive eyes before placing her lips around the tip of his penis and took him into her mouth. He sucked in a breath before flinging his head back against the bed.

The feeling was overwhelming. He had had blow jobs before, but her soft lips and succulent mouth, made it feel like it was his first time again. He lifted himself up on his elbows and watched as her head bobbed up and down; sucking his dick like it was candy. She couldn't fit him all the way in her mouth but she didn't need to. Flicking her tongue in circle around the head every so often, made it difficult for him to breathe. He wasn't going to last much longer if she kept it up so he grabbed a chunk of her hair and forced his mouth on her. Picking her up off the floor, he threw her on the bed, and spread her legs open, as he leaned in for another kiss. He held his dick in his hand, stoking it a few times before placing it at the front of her entrance. He let out a low growl as he glided his dick up and down her wet pussy; coated the tip in her juice.

He wanted to be gentle, no matter how much his body was telling him to pound her. So he slowly eased his way into her and she released a moan in his mouth. She was so tight and he knew he was big, so he waited a few seconds for her to adjust to him, before pulling out and easing back in, further each time. Once he was all the way in, he moved his hand back up to her still wet hair, and placed a kiss on her forehead. She wrapped her legs around his waist, signaling that she was ready, so he pulled out halfway and thrusted softly into her.

 _'God, she felt so good!'_

He kept that pace for a little while longer until he knew she was fully used to him. Then he started thrusting harder and faster into her. Flesh pounding flesh. They were now both moaning loudly as the bed hit the wall, over and over again. Draco was in ecstasy as she scratched deeply at his back. He was about to cum but he wanted to wait for her, so he slowed down some and kissed her sweet spot just below her ear. It seemed to have worked because she hooked her legs around his thighs and was now grabbing his ass; pushing him harder into her and she grinded her hips against him. He felt her walls clench around him as she called out his name and she released a second orgasm in his ear. That put him over the edge. He saw stars for a few seconds before his vision went white and he spilled into her, releasing his own climax.

Pulling out of her slightly, he rested his head on her, breathing heavily. He could feel her chest rising and falling fast as she tried catching her breath.

"That was," she started, still breathing heavily. "That was amazing!"

He lifted his head to look at her and grinned from ear to ear. He placed a kiss on her lips and he fully pulled out of her, rolling on his back.

"You are definitely a little lioness." He claimed, catching his breath some.

She chuckled at the nickname and he pulled her into his chest; holding her while she fell asleep on him.

 _*End of Flashback*_

X

Wednesday, April 10th, 1912 09:45am

 _Water. Everywhere; but nowhere_. _She didn't know where she was. Ice cold liquid engulfed her and she felt her lungs collapsing. The pain was excruciating; her arms tired from swimming. She didn't know which way was up. She was drowning, but she could breathe. Every breath she took though, the salty frozen liquid poured into her body, making the pain even more unbearable. She was so cold, so lost, and it was so dark._

 _She heard people screaming; crying out as if being tortured. She didn't know where it was coming from. She couldn't see anything and the water was so still. But she could hear them. They were getting closer, but she still couldn't see them. Every second, the screams got louder and louder. Her ears hurt and her body was freezing. She just wanted out. But the screaming wouldn't stop. It just kept getting louder; until she couldn't take it anymore and let out a scream of her own. The water muffled her voice but she kept screaming. For them, for the pain,…for herself. But just when she thought she couldn't scream anymore; she felt a hand touch her shoulder; and she cried out again._

"Hermione!"

 _There was no one there, but someone was saying at her name now. She didn't know who. The voice was being drowned out by the screams. Her screams. She just wanted it to stop. She wanted all the pain to just stop. She wanted to give up; let it all go, but the voice seemed determine. It was shouting at her now._

"HERMIONE!"

 _The voice wouldn't leave her alone. So she stopped screaming. Looking around she finally noticed a faint glow surrounding her. She looked up and saw where it was coming from. There it was. The surface she so desperately craved; her escape. So she swam. She swam like her life depended on it, but the voice was still yelling her name._

"GRANGER!"

 _She recognized the voice now. It was Draco. She feared he was trapped too, so she stopped swimming and looked around her. But she saw nothing. He was nowhere to be found. She felt lost again but she had to get out of the water. She had to find him. She started swimming again; the water seeming to go on forever. But she could feel that she was close. Her whole body ached. She never experienced this kind of pain before. It was so close to feeling like the Cruciatus curse. But it was ongoing, the pain, it wouldn't stop. She needed to get out._

 _She saw the surface finally in reach. She had made it. She kicked her feet a few more times and broke through the barrier. But the nightmare wasn't over. She saw a large, white, curved railing a few feet from her. It looked like it was sinking; the water bubbling around it. She couldn't understand why a railing was in the water to begin with, but her mind was dragged elsewhere. Her eyes now focused on the hundreds of screaming people splashing around. She couldn't see their faces but she knew they were the screams she heard earlier._

 _They were dying. She wanted to help them. She wanted to save them. She reached out a hand to them but something was pulling at her body. She couldn't hold on any more. The force pulled her back under the water, but this time, she couldn't breathe as she screamed her last scream._

"GRANGER! GRANGER WAKE UP!"

Hermione's eyes shot open and she looked into the terrified face of Draco Malfoy. She felt wet; like someone had poured water on her and her right cheek hurt.

"Wha…What happened?" she asked confused, rubbing her tender cheek as she sat up.

"You were having a nightmare. You were screaming so loud. I…I tried to wake you but you wouldn't wake up. I tried everything from shaking you to throwing water on you, but nothing was working… I…I had to slap you. I'm sorry! It was the only thing that woke you up." He explained apologetically as he looked her over.

"It's okay. Draco I'm okay! Would you stop manhandling me? I'm fine." she claimed, swatting his hands away from her face.

"Sorry…it's just that…"

He let his sentence trail off and Hermione could see the sadden look on his features.

"What? What's wrong? Did I hurt myself in my sleep?" she asked looking herself over.

"No. It's just that…your screams…they sounded so much like…like the time you were being tortured at the Manor. I thought you were either being cursed or reliving that day."

"Oh…I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you." She stated sadly.

"Can I ask you what you're nightmare was about?"

"I…It was so different. It wasn't like any other nightmare I have had before. I was drowning, but I wasn't. The water was freezing cold and I heard screaming. I…I couldn't find my way out, until I heard you calling my name. I thought you were lost as well, so I swam and swam, until I finally reached the surface and..."

"And what?" he asked concerned.

"…I… I saw hundreds of people screaming and struggling to stay afloat. They were dying Draco. I couldn't do anything to help them. Then something pulled me back under the water and I woke up."

"Do you think it means anything?"

"What like a premonition? I don't believe in that kind of bull. It's just made up fortune-telling by frauds to get people's money and seek attention. None of that is real."

"You believe in magic but you don't believe in people seeing the future?" he questioned rather confused.

"Magic can be proven."

"So can predictions. Weren't you one of the many who entered the ministry and saw all the prophesy orbs? I overheard Voldemort yelling it at Bellatrix, when my father and her lost Potter's prophesy."

"I…I didn't have a prediction! It was just a nightmare and we are leaving it at that!" she demanded.

"Okay, okay sorry. Don't need to bite my head off about it." He surrendered, putting his hands up in defense.

"Sorry…What time is it anyway?" she asked calmly.

"Almost ten, we have about an hour to get ready. Ship leaves at noon. We can either wait to eat then or we can grab something small before heading out."

"Let's just eat on the ship. I'm not really hungry right now."

"Okay. I'll start packing up our things." He leaned over and place a gentle kiss on her forehead before standing up.

Hermione sat on the bed for a little while longer as Draco headed off to pack up their luggage. She couldn't wrap her mind around that nightmare.

 _'It felt like she was really there. Maybe it's just from nerves? It was the first time she would be sailing across the ocean. Maybe the thought of being on the open water terrified her, but only her subconscious was aware? That seems like the more logical answer; not some stupid prediction. But then why was it so hard for Draco to wake her? Was she in such a deep sleep that made the nightmare feel real? Yes, that must be it. It was just another nightmare. It wasn't real. At least this one wasn't from the war.'_

She finished her thoughts and decided it was just fear that was getting to her; the fear of open water. She eased herself off the bed, grabbing her wand in the process, and made her way to the bathroom to freshen up. She was adamant she wouldn't let fear of the ocean, keep her from enjoying her first time on a ship, a luxury ship at that. The one and only, Titanic.


	12. Chapter 12- The Ship of Dreams

Chapter 12- The Ship of Dreams

Wednesday, April 10th, 1912 11:05am

Draco stood by pub that sat to the side of the massive ship, and watched a few men play a card game by the large window. He's never seen cards before and it was interesting to watch. It was better, to him, to watch the men in the pub, than watch the thousands of people behind him, saying goodbye to their loved ones. The crowd was so much larger than the ones on September 1st on Platform 9 ¾. It was easily ten times the size. It was a little overwhelming.

He felt Hermione tap his shoulder, which pulled him from his trance and he turned to face her. She had gone off a few minutes ago to ask a crew member, which was checking people for lice, where they should go. It was hard to hear what she was saying over the loud noise of the crowd, so he yelled 'what' and pointed to his ear so she would understand.

"I SAID, WE ARE SUPPOSED TO HEAD DOWN THAT WAY." She yelled above the noise; pointing in the direction of a leaning platform that led to an open door on the ships portside.

He nodded his head in understanding, not wanting to risk yelling over the crowd, picked up their luggage and started following her. They realized before leaving the hotel that they couldn't carry all their things, and since they didn't have staff to help them, they used a charm to shrink all but two suitcases and placed them into Hermione's handbag.

Draco noticed as they walked just how close in proximity they were to Titanic and he couldn't believe how big it was. It looked so large from afar when they first viewed it a few nights ago, but now being so close, he realized just how massive the ship actually was. Its black steel plates created the ships outer skin and it made him wonder what the ship was actually made of. He was impressed when he heard a man behind him mention that the whole thing was built by muggles; no magic involved.

 _'There was no way that man wasn't a wizard. Not a very smart one though, if he had the balls to talk about magic in such an area. But the man was right about one thing and he had to give muggles credit where credit was due. To build something this massive, without the use of a wand, must have taken them years to complete.'_

The couple continued on their path, finally reaching their destination after almost losing each other two times. The noise wasn't so bad in that particular section by the ship, so they didn't need to yell to hear each other anymore, which made Draco's voice box very happy. They stood in line at the bottom of the platform, waiting for tickets to be checked, when Draco felt someone tap his shoulder. He spun around but he wasn't prepared for the face he saw and almost fell backwards into Hermione.

"Ow, Draco! What the hell…o Ms. Applegate? What a pleasure to see you again!" Hermione stated in shock.

"Mr. and Mrs. Lovegood, oh the pleasure is all mine, I thought I recognized you! How are you this fine day?" she excitingly spoke.

"We are well, thank you, and yourself? Draco replied as he managed to stand upright.

"Very well thank you. I am here with the Malfoy's just over there. The rest of the staff and I are bringing their things up…Where is your staff?" she asked, looking at the bags they were carrying.

"Oh well, we uh, we left them all with my parents, you see. My wife and I want to start fresh in America. The staff has served my parents for a long time. I, we, didn't feel right taking them away and to a land they know not." He lied.

"I see, however does the Mrs. tie her corset, I wonder?"

"I…"

' _Shit'_

"I have helped her. My mother's handmaiden taught me when I was a child. I was a very curious boy back then and it was the only thing that kept me occupied long enough. It has come quite handy, now that we do not have a handmaiden on this journey." He lied again.

"Hm, curious. I have never heard of a gentleman willing to help his wife dress. Do forgive me, I just find it quite strange. Endearing however; you must really love her." The handmaiden stated with a twinkle in her eye that only Draco could see.

 _'Love? He didn't love Hermione. She's not even his real wife. He cared for her yes, and likes her a lot but love? No way. And to be honest he didn't even really know what love outside his family, even was. He had just learnt to have feeling of liking another person. Everything is happening too fast. She just mentioned love because of that lie and the fact that she thinks Granger is my wife. There is no need to dwell on it, it's impossible anyway.'_

"Of course! I would do anything to make her happy." He exclaimed. Only half-lying that time. "I am afraid however, that we must cut this reunion short. The line is moving and we should get going. It was a pleasure to see you again Ms. Applegate." He finished with a nod of his head. He saw Hermione do the same as they turned around and made their way up the ramp.

Draco pulled out their tickets as they neared a crew member. He still was amazed at the ships size. They weren't even on the deck and he could tell they were high up. He liked heights though; it reminded him of riding a broom. However this distance wasn't only above the ground; it was above water as well. He could see waves hitting the dock as the ship pushed against the water. Staring at the waves made him a little nervous and a little nauseous. He had never been on the open sea before and can only imagine the feeling he would get once they set sail.

 _'He never really understood the muggle term 'set sail'. The Titanic didn't have any sails; just four giant towers that looked to let out smoke. In fact, now that he thought about it, he didn't really know what made the thing actually move. He would have to ask Hermione about it later.'_

"Tickets and passports please." The crew member asked.

He handed the man the two tickets but was confused as to what a passport was. He never heard the word before but didn't want to look stupid and ask the man. He looked to Hermione for an answer, but she already seemed to know what the man was talking about. She pulled out what looked like two very small books and handed them over.

"Very good, Bridge deck, parlor suite 60. Right…Mr. and Mrs. Lovegood; Mr. Strafford here will escort you to your room. Thank you for choosing RMS Titanic, a White Star Line Property." He announced as he stamped both tickets and little books and handed them back to Draco.

He flipped the little books in his hands intriguingly, before putting them in his suit pocket. Mr. Strafford nodded to the couple as he picked up their two pieces of luggage. Draco entwined his hand in Hermione's and they started down a long white hallway in silence.

Reaching the entrance to B-60, Mr. Strafford pulled out a key and unlocked the door. The couple walked through and stared at the sitting room in amazement, as the man set their things down.

"I beg your pardon sir but it this all the luggage for you and the Mrs?" Strafford asked politely.

Draco didn't know how to answer. There was no way he could get away with saying staff was bringing the rest since the man would most likely show them to the room. He had run out of lies and couldn't for the life of him think of how to respond.

"Or did you shrink the rest?" Strafford continued giving a smirk even a Malfoy would be proud of.

Both Draco and Hermione stopped dead in their tracks and stared at the man.

 _'He couldn't be…could he?'_

"How…how did you know we-" Hermione questioned after they were both silent for what seemed like hours.

"Have magic?" he interrupted. "I saw how confused your husband was when asked about your passports and I saw his wand when he put them in his jacket." He looked at Draco. "I am assuming you are pureblood sir? I am a squib myself and was raised by muggles." He looked back at Hermione. "I am assuming you are half-blood? Very rare to see half-bloods and purebloods married."

"I'm muggle-born actually."

The shock on the man's face was so priceless that Draco almost let out a laugh. Mr. Strafford reminded him so much of himself a few years ago. That face would have been his, if someone would have told him before the war, that he would be "dating a muggle-born".

"Well…" he started as he finally closed his mouth. "That was unexpected. I do apologize for my bold rudeness ma'am. It is extremely rare, for someone, such as yourself, to be married to a pureblood. I'll have you know, I fully support it and you have my word, both secrets are safe with me!" the man said with a wide smile.

"Thank you Mr. Strafford. We really appreciate it." Hermione exclaimed releasing a breath.

"You are most welcome ma'am. Anyway, on to more important things. I am your personal butler for the duration of your journey. If there is anything you need please do not hesitate to ask me. Cold hors d'oevres will be brought up to your room shortly and a luncheon will be served at 01:00pm in the First Class Dining Saloon, located on D Deck, just pass the Grand Staircase to the right. Dinner will be served at 06:00pm. You will be alerted for each meal, by the ships bugler, Peter W. Fletcher. Titanic will be departing on its maiden voyage in-" he stopped and pulled out his pocket watch "Twenty-five minutes, so it's best you two head up to the Main deck now to get a good view." He explained.

"Yes, of course we will head up their now. Thank you for everything Mr. Strafford." Draco replied.

Strafford bowed slightly and made his way out of the room. Rising a brow, Draco looked around the sitting room and finally was able to take it all in. The room's primary color was red with gold trimming. Something he wasn't too fond of since it was Gryffindor colors but the room was still amazing. He had come from money but nothing in the Manor looked this luxurious. The walls where covered in boiseries, which gave the room a rich look. A mahogany love seat with red fabric, sat in the center facing away from the door, with two single matching chairs seated on either side facing each other. Three rectangle windows, that overlooked the ocean, were placed on the starboard side and he was happy they at least had a view. He could see a door on either side of the room which he assumed led to a bathroom and bedroom.

"This is so wonderful! I can't believe we are actually here! This is so much more than I imagined." Hermione said excitingly as she walked around the room almost skipping.

"It is exceedingly nice. I am surprised muggles did all this; they just keep surprising me… Anyway, want to head up to the deck and check out this view Strafford was talking about?" he asked.

She nodded her head and took his hand as they head out to the upper deck, admiring the details of the halls along the way.

X

Wednesday, April 10th, 1912 11:55am

Hermione had to push past a lot of people to make their way to the main deck of the ship. She didn't know where she wanted to look first. There were so many people crowded around the portside of the ship, saying goodbye to loved ones, that she was afraid she would miss the view. Draco however had helped her ease through the crowd, so she could now lean up against the railing, close to bow of the ship.

 _'The railing…it looked so much like the one in her nightmare, but it wasn't curved like the one she remembered. It's just a coincidence. She had seen the ship a few days ago and her subconscious used the memory in her nightmare. That was it. That is all it was.'_

The view, as she would describe it, had no words. She could see the crowd of people waving and shouting in tears of joy and sadness. The feeling was emotional and overwhelming but Hermione couldn't take her eyes of the people. She could feel Draco's arms wrap around her waist as she scanned the crowd and started waving back.

"Why are you waving?" he asked close to her ear.

"I don't know. It just feels right. Like it's something we should do." She replied.

"We have no one down there to say goodbye to. It's a waste of an arm motion if you ask me."

"Well I wasn't asking you!" she retorted, sounding a little angrier than she meant.

She continued to wave despite Draco, when she felt a slight tremble below her feet. The engines have started and she could see the tug boats maneuvering the large ship away from the port.

"This is it! We are on our way!" She exclaimed.

"What the hell was that tremor?"

"Oh." She laughed "The engines started up."

Draco looked at her like she had just told him pigs could fly.

"What are engines? Actually now that I remember I wanted to ask you how this thing moved and how it's able to float without magic."

She let out a chuckle and turned to face him.

"Okay…um…" She began as she looked around for a way to start. "You see those Smokestacks?" he nodded his head. "Well, they release the smoke that is produced from the boilers below the ship." He raised an eye brow still confused. "For a ship this size there must be a few boiler rooms down below, each with many boilers…fireplaces with doors… that workers put coal into. The coal fuels the engines that in turn, run the propellers…" he still looked very confused, so she tried to break it down and give references he could understand. "Okay…uh, the engines are like magic. In order for your wand to work it needs a power source, which would be the holder of the wand. Engines for a ship are like wand holders. They give off the power that runs everything and the coal is the fuel. Propellers, on the other hand, are like muggle fans…you've never seen a muggle fan, okay they are like…a daisy, with way less petals….ugh can I just show you?"

"You can use Legilimency?" he asked.

"No, I want you to use it on me. I can show you what I am talking about. The book I was reading in the library yesterday; History of Southampton had the making and workings of steam ships like this one. I want you to enter my mind and see it. The pictures I saw will help you understand better than me trying to explain it." She explained.

"You trust me enough to let me into your mind?"

"Well, no, but it's the only way I can help you understand. I know it will bother you until you know and it's bothering me now that I can't explain it to you, so just do it."

"Here? There are a lot of people around."

"Yes here. Just do it already." She demanded staring directly into his grey eyes.

"Okay, okay…Legilimens." he whispered.

She could feel Draco enter her mind as he searched for the memory containing the book she read yesterday. Once he found it, it only seemed to take him a few moments to look it over, before she felt him pull back. But as he was pulling back out; a flash of her nightmare, popped up in her head. She could hear the screams again. She could see the people dying in the water and it made her want to scream. She almost did just that, when she felt Draco fully release from her mind and pull her into a tight hug.

"I am so sorry Hermione. I wasn't trying to see that. That seemed so awful. Are you okay?" he asked desperately.

"I'm okay, it's okay." She replied hugging him back. She pulled away from him slightly, but still hugging him and looked up at his face with a serious expression. "You know, you have apologized to me a lot these past few days. It's getting weird. Stop it. It's making me forget how much of a ferret you are."

He let out a laugh and kissed the top of her head. "Now what fun would it be to stop now if I know that it bothers you so much? I could torment you for days with that kind of information. Besides I don't want to see myself as a ferret again; let alone, have you see me as one."

She smiled up at him before resting her head on his chest.

"Come on let's go back to the room and unpack. The crowd is dying down now anyway. We have officially set sail and we need to make a plan to find and retrieve those stones.

She nodded her head and followed him off the deck, back to their room. It didn't take them long to unpack since they used their wands to do everything, much to Hermione's dismay. She wanted to unpack the muggle way but Draco was insistent that they use magic. He said it would be faster so they had more time to make a plan. But without knowing what rooms the Malfoys and Dimitra Black were staying in, it made it hard to know how to start.

"Maybe we could follow them back to their rooms after dinner tonight?" She suggested.

"We just got on the ship Granger. Why not give us one day? One day, out of the seven; we are supposed to be on this thing, to relax. Get to know where everything is. We look for their rooms now, we might get lost and even when we do find them; we still need to come up with a plan to take the stones without them noticing. I know the Gryffindor in you wants to go on a mission and get everything now, but the Slytherin in me knows we need to blend in. In order to do that, we need to see what these people do, find out the schedules, monitor how they act, and get them to trust us. Even if we manage to get the stones now, we need to wait until the ship docks in New York, get the international portkey and connect the stones in The Castle."

"No, you're right. I was being stupid."

"Of course I am…wait, what?" he questioned surprisingly. "Did you just admit that I am right AND that you're being stupid, all in one breath? This is some kind of joke right? Where is that muggle God everyone speaks of? I need to thank him right now for allowing this moment to happen!" he laughed.

"Over react much?" she asked as she crossed her arms with a pout.

A smile slowly crept on her face as she tried to stay angry at him, but his excitement at the confession made her heart melt. There was no way she could stay mad at him for long and she didn't have it in her to ruin his good mood.

 _'This is the happiest she has ever seen him. Not counting the times he harassed everyone at school. That didn't count. He wasn't truly happy then. He didn't let his guard down like has now. This was the real Draco. The Draco, she always wanted to see. The Draco, she was falling hard for.'_

Shaking that thought from her mind she focused on what he said just a moment ago.

 _'He was right. They did have to blend in and find out more about how people acted in this time period. It was one thing to be on land and not around so many First Class citizens; it was another to be completely surrounded by them in a different environment. They had to be discreet and they had to be patient. So for now they will observe …and she would also take in all the sites the ship had to offer.'_

"Alright my little lioness, I am hungry and it's about lunch time. Can we go eat now? My stomach is practically eating itself at this very moment." He joked.

"Yeah, yeah. Let's go Drama King."

They made their way down the hall to the First Class elevator. There were a few other people with them, going to the same floor, so they at least knew they were headed in the right direction. If not, they would have to ask someone, which she knew Draco would hate. Once the elevator stopped on D Deck, they made their exit and headed passed the Grand Staircase. The first thing Hermione saw was the giant glass dome hanging over the stairs, letting in the natural light from the outside. In the center of the dome was a large crystal and gilt chandelier. The staircase itself was built in the style of Louis XIV, with solid oak wood and wrought iron grilles. The base alone looked to be about twenty feet wide. A beautiful bronze cherub statue, holding an illuminating torch, stood on the central post, at the bottom of the stairs. She had made a note to walk those stairs one day. She could already tell how important someone would feel, walking down them. Like it was the highest honor one could achieve. It reminded her of what Mrs. Dickenson had said to them the other day, when they bought the tickets.

 _'The Titanic is called the 'Ship of Dreams'. And after looking at the Grand Staircase; she could tell it was. It really was.'_


	13. Chapter 13- What You See

Chapter 13- What You See, Isn't Always What You Get

Wednesday, April 10th, 1912 01:15pm

Draco and Hermione were sat at a table for four, when they entered the large Dinning Saloon. They had run out of tables for two, so another couple or two single people, were bound to join them eventually, which was lucky on Draco's part, because it would give him time to observe up close.

He looked around the room as they waited for lunch to be served and realized how eloquent it was. The room was clearly the width of the ship itself and was a little over a quarter of a Quidditch pitch. The walls were painted white, with wood paneling and the floors were covered in blue linoleum tiles, with a red and yellow pattern. The chairs, green with wooden arms and legs. He was pleased that he could at least sit in a Slytherin green chair and not red like their room.

"So do you want a plated meal of the buffet?" he asked Hermione while looking over the menu.

"Buffet seems like a lot right now. I'll go with the Chicken A La Maryland again. It was good the last time I had it. What about you? What are you getting?"

"I think I'll try the Egg A L'Argenteuil. It seems interesting."

"What is it exactly? It sounds fancy." She asked.

"I…have no idea." He laughed. "But I guess we'll find out."

"Pardon me. We were told these seats were not taken yet. May we sit?" a stranger asked politely.

Draco looked up from his menu and realized that his perfect opportunity to observe just got more perfect. There, standing right next to him was Dimitra Black, wearing the stone around her neck, and her lover Robert. Sensing Hermione's eagerness he placed a hand on hers and rubbed the back of it with his thumb, before standing up.

"Of course, please, have a seat." He politely replied.

"Thank you. I am Dimitra Black. This is my fiancé Robert Hoarse. I feel like we have crossed paths before. Have we met? You both look so familiar." She asked.

"Good afternoon Ms. Black, Mr. Hoarse. I am Hermione Gr-Lovegood and this is my husband Draco. We haven't officially met but we did crossed paths in a restaurant in Southampton." Hermione claimed as she folded her napkin over her lap.

"Yes! Of course how could I forget? You accidently spilled your drink on your beautiful dress. However did you manage to clean it?"

"Oh, my husband's mother's handmaiden cleaned it. I think she used white vinegar. One could not even tell there was ever a stain there." she replied with a smile.

"Interesting, I will have to let my handmaidens know that little secret. So what brings you on the Titanic?"

"We are starting our new life in America. Change of scenery. And you?" Draco chimed in.

"We are also starting a new life in…what is the full name they call it dear?" Dimitra asked her fiancé.

"The United States of America, my sweet. Land of the free they say. Let's hope they are right." Robert responded.

"Home of the brave." Hermione chimed. "I heard they have plenty of opportunities and their military is well trained. They have five armed forces branches. It's all quite fascinating really."

"Fascinating indeed. I am just a pub owner, well I was, until I sold it, but military always intrigued me. Where did you learn about all this?" Robert questioned.

"I've read all about America in different history books. I was actually thinking of looking into schools there for when we have children." She replied sweetly.

Draco almost spit out his water when he heard the word children. He never really thought about them much. He wasn't a "children" kind of guy. But something about Hermione saying it put his life in a whole new perspective. He did want children, someday, but more importantly, he wanted them with her. At that realization, a thought hit him so hard in the face, he was stunned.

 _'In order to have children with her, he would have to…NO...Shit…fuck…damn it no! He forgot to do a contraption charm on her after their…Shit! Was it too late? It would be more effective if he had done it right before or right after. If he was too late then he was screwed. They were both utterly and royally screwed…Fuck!'_

His whole body went still and his face went whiter than white. He couldn't believe he had been so careless, so stupid.

 _'Fucking damn it! Damn it all to hell, it's impossible! He can't have a child with her…he can't. He was engaged to be married to Astoria. His parents, hell even Potter and Weaslette are going to Avada him if they find out Granger might be pregnant, with his child. He had to find a way to use the charm on her and fast. Hopefully he still had time.'_

"Draco? Draco, are you okay? You've looked like you've seen a ghost." Hermione asked in concern as she rubbed his right arm.

"He is probably just realizing children are part of being married aren't you son?" Robert joked.

But this wasn't a joke. This was real. This was actually happening. He needed to find a way around it. He wanted to make Hermione happy, and himself, and he wanted to spend as much time as he could with her here, but now; now he was questioning if it was even still worth it.

 _'Forgetting the charm would be just the beginning. He was careless around her. He had never forgotten to do the spell before. It went against his one and only rule about sex. Maybe he wouldn't have to tell her about the charm? He could try to sneakily do it right now, but she keeps putting her hands on her lap blocking her stomach. She's making this hard. Fucking bitch! She's ruining his life! The stupid know-it-all bookworm was ruining his already miserable life and she didn't even know she was doing it. It's not like it was her fault though. She didn't make him forget to do the blasted charm; she didn't make him like her enough to have sex with her. Well, maybe she was at fault for that part, with her stupid flowing hair and her pathetically addictive caramel eyes, and her annoyingly soft skin. Fucking hell! He couldn't blame her for those things. She couldn't control it. Just like she couldn't control what kind of blood she had. She couldn't control how every time she smiled, her lips pierced slightly, or how her brow furrows as she bites her bottom lip, when she is thinking hard about something. There is even the way she looks at him, like she has known the real him all her life. She wasn't afraid to tell him when he was wrong and put him in his place. She wasn't shy when it came to listing fun facts about a topic they were talking about, and she always wanted to engage in real conversations with him. She-'_

Draco got up so fast he almost knocked the chair over but he didn't care. He had to get out of there. He had to get away from her, she was suffocating him, the realization of their predicament, was suffocating him. He just needed to breathe.

"Draco? Wha-" she began to ask him.

"I have to go…I apologize, but I have to go. If you'll excuse me?" he quickly cut her off and left the room as fast as he could.

He ran up the Grand Staircase two at a time, not really knowing if he was even going the right direction. He managed to find their room after about five minutes of searching wrong hallways, and almost broke the door trying to get in. He quickly walked to the en'suite and turned on the tap. Splashing cold water on his face, he looked up at himself in the mirror.

 _'He wanted to tell her everything. Everything about the forgotten spell to what he just discovered before rudely leaving her alone, but he couldn't. He was embarrassed. It only took the mention of children to pop his happy little bubble. He couldn't do it anymore. He made up his mind. He didn't want to let it her go, but he was going to…for both their sakes… he was going to do the spell and then push her away or else he would drag her down to hell with him. He knew he couldn't keep her and he didn't want to hurt her, but he knew he had to…he had to, because he just discovered, that he listed off, all the reason he loved her.'_

X

Wednesday, April 10th, 1912 01:36pm

She was confused and embarrassed. Draco had just abruptly left without even a reason as to why. She knew that bringing up children was just part of her ploy to get Dimitra and Robert to like her. She didn't think it would make Draco run away in fear. It's not like she really researched schools for their pretend future children.

 _'It was just a lie. Why did he run?'_

"I didn't think the thought of children, would make a man run away so fast. Strange fella you got yourself there Mrs. Lovegood." Robert chuckled.

"Robert dear, do not be rude." Dimitra stated as she lightly hit Robert in the arm. "The poor boy is probably frightened to be a father." She faced Hermione again. "He'll come along dear, don't you worry your pretty little head about it. Some men just need more time than others."

"Thank you Ms. Black."

"Please, call me Dimitra. After all you and your husband are the only people we have talked to on this ship so far and you seem like such a sweet couple. If it's alright with you and your husband; I would like to get to know you more. Would you both like to join us dinner with us this evening? "

Hermione was thrown back a bit. She didn't expect to be in Dimitra good graces so soon. She honestly thought she would have to work for it, for at least a few more days anyway.

 _'Despite Draco's reaction a moment ago, she knew if it came down to it she could get the stone without him. It wouldn't be the first time she did a task on her own. After all, if it wasn't for her helping Harry and Ron behind the scenes, Voldemort would probably still be alive. She just needed to play her cards right.'_

"That is such a kind gesture Dimitra. We would be happy to join you and please call me Hermione." She exclaimed with a wide smile.

The waiter had arrived shortly after, to received their orders. Hermione didn't know if Draco was coming back or not, so she ordered his food for him. If he didn't return, she could just ask to get it boxed up for him. She was still a little angry that he just left, but she wasn't callous. Once the ordered were placed she looked back to Dimitra and tried to study the necklace, but it was hard to see all the details from the distance she was at, so she decided to come up with a plan. It took her about ten minutes to finally come up with one she thought might work.

 _'It's not concrete, but it's better than nothing.'_ she thought.

"Ms. Bl-Dimitra, I couldn't help but admire the necklace you are wearing. It is quite beautiful. However did you come across it?" she asked, taking a sip of her water.

"Oh, why thank you dear." Dimitra replied as she touched a hand to the necklace. "It is actually a family heirloom. It used to be my uncle's before he gave it to me. It was… if I recall correctly, a twenty-first birthday present, three years ago."

"It is so lovely. The details on it must be extraordinary. I have always had a fondness of older jewelry. You…you wouldn't happen to mind…if I took a look a closer look at it, would you? I know it's rude of me to ask."

"No not at all. After all it is just a piece of jewelry. If you were to try and steal it you wouldn't get very far anyway, seeing as we are at sea right now." She joked as she removed the long chained necklace from her person and handed it over to Hermione.

Hermione let out a small laugh as she gently took the pendant from Dimitra's outstretched hand. Looking it over in her hand, she took in every detail she possibly could. It was a sterling silver, Victorian vintage style pendant, in the shape of a backwards 'S'. The Time Stone was placed in the bottom notch, which was slightly wider than the top. There was writing in, what she thought was Latin, on the back of the necklace. She couldn't read it but she could memorize the words. All-in-all the pendant was simple and elegant.

Before she could hand the necklace back, she noticed a frustrated looking Draco, making his way back to the table.

 _'She didn't know what his deal was, but his timing is impeccable. She could kiss him right now. Using him as a distraction would guarantee her new plan's success.'_

"Draco! You came back!" She exclaimed, a little louder than necessary as she purposely pushed her napkin off the table.

The couple turned their heads to look at the man returning, so she bent over to "pick her napkin up", and quickly pulled out her wand.

"Geminio." She whispered, pointing her wand that the necklace.

A perfect duplicated appeared and she placed the real necklace in her handbag. Grabbing her napkin off the floor, she straightened herself up and pretended like nothing happened. Draco was now standing by his chair but he looked like he was having a fight with himself.

"I am very sorry for leaving like I have. I was not feeling very well." He explained.

"No worries son. All is well. Your wife here ordered lunch for you. It should be out shortly." Robert replied.

Draco nodded his head as he took his seat. She saw him look over as her and his eyes went wide. Hermione was confused before she realized what he was staring at. She still held the necklace in her hand; well the fake one, but he didn't know that. She apologized to Dimitra for holding on to the pendant for so long, as she handed it back to her.

Lunch was served and Hermione was grateful they could change the topic. In the middle of her meal she felt Draco place hand on her lap. She squeeze his hand as reassurance that she was no longer mad at him, before continuing the conversation she was having with Robert, about American Military. It wasn't until he went to remove his hand a few minutes later, that she felt a small pain in her stomach. She had felt that type of pain before and knew what just happened. He had used a contraption spell on her.

 _'But why do it now? He was acting so strange and now he's looking for sex again? Men are so mysterious.'_

After lunch, the couples said their farewells and promised to meet for dinner later that night. Hermione tried to take Draco's hand as they walked to the lift but he jerked it away and put it in his pocket. She was now even more confused with his behavior.

 _'One minute he's happy and the next he's distant. He's a rollercoaster and he's making her nauseous.'_

They took the elevator up in silence and Hermione was itching to ask him what his deal was. She tried again to hold his hand but he shrugged her off as he looked past the bellman. She was getting angry now. Once they exited the elevator, he rushed ahead of her, leaving her to walk the corridors alone. She didn't know what she did to deserve being ignored. She figured that there was no way he was being cold to her because of her mention of children earlier. She needed to get to the bottom of it and she wasn't taking no for an answer.

 _'She risked so much getting the first stone without him, there was absolutely no way she was going to let him treat her like scum again. Not after everything they have been through. She would be damned if she let him make a fool of her.'_


	14. Chapter 14- Stay With Me

Chapter 14- Stay With Me

Wednesday, April 10th, 1912 03:08pm

Draco sat on the love seat and placed his face in his hands. He realized pushing Hermione away was going to be a lot harder than he thought. He hated pulling away from her, when she tried to reach for his hand and he hated himself for walking away from her. It was torture seeing her get angry for something he purposely did. But he couldn't stop. He had to make her angry enough to hate him again. He would be nice in public but behind closed doors, he would be heartless. He decided he wouldn't use the term mudblood however. The kind of hate he would get from her, for saying it, would be irreversible; it would kill him.

The door to the suite opened slowly and he was prepared for the fight that was going to happen. He turned his head slightly to see her; she looked so angry, but he could see the sadness brewing in her eyes. She looked like she wanted to cry. He didn't blame her. They were getting along so well and he basically was tearing himself away from her. He turned his head forward and took a deep breath as he prepared himself to be callous.

"Took you long enough Granger. You got to be faster than that if you want to catch up to a superior, such as myself." He mocked.

"What the hell is your problem?" she asked with her brows furrowed.

He knew he had to make this fight good.

"You are; you bloody witch! You're an embarrassment and I am ashamed to be seen with you in public! You don't belong in First Class with Purebloods!" He almost shouted as he stood up from the love seat. It hurt him to say those words but he had to keep going. He had to push her away.

"What? What did I do? May I remind you that YOU are the one who ran away from the table for no good reason, while I stayed behind to clean up YOUR mess!"

"My mess? If you didn't talk about stupid topics, no one cared about, than maybe I wouldn't have had to get away from you. You're suffocating everyone with your know- it-all bullshit!"

"God Malfoy, who hurt you? Why are you being such a git all of a sudden? No thanks to you, I got the bloody pendant from Dimitra, and I'll get the other one without you as well! You are useless, you know that? Pathetic and useless!" she claimed, as her hand cut the air.

Her words broke his heart into a million pieces. He could feel himself crumbling. He didn't want to keep going but he had no choice. He couldn't risk dragging her into his miserable life. He didn't want himself to be the reason her friends abandon her or his parents hex her. He didn't want to be the reason she would be alone when they got back. He realized that even being friends with her, would cause her heartache. He knew Potter and the rest of the clan would shun her or make being friends with him difficult. Hell, he even knew his friends; mainly Pansy, would torment her and make her teased days at Hogwarts, look like silly child's play. He had to keep going; for her own good. But at that thought, he had also made another realization.

 _'If he really loved her, than the further away she was from him in this era, the less it would hurt for him when it came time to say goodbye.'_

"So you stole the pendant, after I specifically told you to be patient? How fucking stupid can you be? We just got on the blasted ship Granger! She will know you stole the damn thing! Salazar you are dumber than Weasel! You know what? You two belong together. You're both equally ignorant to anything around you! It's a bloody miracle you survived the war!"

He could feel his rage boiling now. Actual anger was forming as he spoke those words. He was trying to push her away, not get them caught on the first day.

"Me? You're the coward who switched sides when he realized his side was losing! I spent months helping destroy horcrux's, while you sat at home playing house with an evil dictator! And I'll have you know that I won't get caught, because I used a duplication spell, when you walked in and handed her back the fake one! How dare you accuse me of being reckless! How about next time you ask me how I achieved a task, before just assuming shit!"

Draco was little shocked. He didn't expect her to duplicate the blasted thing. But he had to stay on his mission. No matter how much he wanted to kiss her, at that moment, for being so smart.

"That's very Slytherin of you Granger. Congrad-u-fucking-lations! So you were impatient enough to get the first stone, but still too stupid to remember we still need to be back in the bloody castle. We have seven days to get the other stone! How about you not try getting us caught and just wait to get the second one!"

"Oh my God Malfoy! Call me stupid…one more time!" she dared him.

 _'She was annoyed now. He was getting close, just a little further.'_

"You…are…stu-"

He started to say but she pulled out her wand and sent a Stupefy hexed right at his chest. The sheer power of the spell, threw him backwards into the wall and he landed on the floor with a hard thud. His head hit the wall with such force, that he blacked out.

xxxxxxx

He awoke sometime later with a throbbing headache. Sitting up from the love seat he was placed on, he tried to remember what happened. Once it finally came to him, his rage built back up.

 _'She hexed him! The fucking dumb bitch hexed him! Well, at least she didn't punch him again. Actually, he probably would have preferred a punch, over being knocked unconscious by a very powerful hex. He couldn't really blame her though. He was being mean. Everyone knew Hermione Granger was far from stupid, but he knew it would push her over the edge. He still needed her to hate him, but he didn't need to be almost killed in the process.'_

He looked up at the hanging clock, on the wall to his right, near the bathroom entrance. It read 08:25. He tried standing up but had to sit back down, due to dizziness. Instead he looked out one of the glass windows from the seat. Assuming it was pm, seeing as it was now dark out, he realized he had missed dinner and was now hungry, angry, and had a pounding headache.

Trying to stand again was worthless because his head throbbed in severe pain; so he laid back down and shut his eyes, but it didn't help. Just then, he heard the door to the suite open, but ignored it; because he knew exactly who had entered. It was either her or Mr. Strafford. He hoped it was the latter, but his luck today wasn't so great.

He heard her clear her throat after the door clicked shut and was already dreading what she was going to say.

"How are you feeling?" Hermione asked calmly.

To say he was surprised was an understatement. Asking how he was feeling, wasn't anywhere near what he expected her to say. He expected her to yell at him, maybe even hex him again, but not ask him if he was doing okay.

"I would be feeling just fine without this large bump on my head and this ear splitting headache you were so kind to give me." He replied in a snarky attitude, still laying down on the love seat.

"Well, I left you some aspirin on the counter in the bathroom. Its muggle medicine but it will help with your headache and the swelling to your head. I also brought you up some dinner, since you were unconscious for it, and I figured you would be hungry." She stated, ignoring his comment. "And in case you were wondering why we are stopped; the ship has anchored for the night, near France, to pick up some passengers, and will be setting off again by 01:30pm tomorrow. But we should still arrive in New York by the seventeenth, as scheduled."

"Why are you being so nice to me? After everything I said to you earlier, you should hate me." He said a little too calmly.

"Do you want me to hate you Draco?" she asked in a confusing tone.

He couldn't tell her yes. He wanted to, but the word just wouldn't leave his lips, so he just stayed silent, in hope that she would walk away and leave him alone; but she didn't. He could practically feel her frustration of being ignored, oozing off her, as she stood by the doorway.

"You know what? Maybe I should just leave you here! It's obvious you hate me for no reason other than your ego being too large for your head and I'm sick of the back and forth with you!" she walked away from the door and around the love seat. Slamming the dinner on the mahogany coffee table, she stared him down. "You want me to hate you? FINE! I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU SO MUCH DRACO MALFOY!" She yelled at him.

She turned on her heels and marched to the bedroom, slamming the door in the process. Draco flinched at the sound but couldn't say anything; he couldn't do anything. He thought that hearing her say those words would make things easier, but he was wrong. He was so very wrong. His heart shattered into a million pieces and he felt tears trying to fight their way to the surface of his grey eyes.

 _'This is what he wanted. But he never expected it to hurt this badly. It felt like someone took his heart, ripped it from his chest, and threw it into the ocean; never to be seen again. Never in his life has he felt this kind of pain before. It was beyond torture; he felt like…like he was dying.'_

X

Thursday, April 11th, 1912 08:31am

Hermione awoke feeling like shit. Her eyes were puffy and still red from crying herself to sleep last night. She had put a locking charm, of her own creation on the door, and put a silencing spell up so Malfoy couldn't hear her crying over him. She still couldn't believe he could be so cruel to her, and for no reason. She thought they were getting along fine and she still didn't understand why he flipped his switch so quickly, and so randomly. He still never told her why, but that just made her more determined to find out today.

She got out of bed and walked over to the armoire across the room, to pick out a dress for breakfast. The purple sparkly dress she wore the night before, to dinner, still sat on the armchair she threw it on. Everyone last night, was dressed in their best as they talked about their first day on the ship. They waited, for about an hour, to socialize in the Reception Hall before being seated in the Dining Saloon. Once she was sat with Dimitra and Robert and dinner had started, she tried taking her mind off of the blonde man she hexed in their room earlier, but she couldn't. Deciding she still cared for him even though he was being an arse; she ordered him some food and had to practically beg the waiter to let her take it up to the suite, instead of one of the staff members.

Shaking the thought from her mind, she pulled out a white corset and a light pink and white dress from the armoire; Hermione grabbed her wand and used a spell to get dressed in her undergarments. Slipping into the dress, she fixed her face and hair, took a deep breath, and opened the bedroom door.

Draco laid fast asleep on the love seat as the sun started to shine through the ships round windows. Still mad at him for causing her heartache; she walked to the open en-suite, filled a up the glass that was sitting on the counter with cold water, and walked back out to the sitting room. She stared at him for a few moments before tipping the full glass onto his unsuspecting face.

He was startled awake and looked around the room in such a face pace, it made Hermione somewhat dizzy to watch him. His eyes finally landing on her angry ones, his surprised expression turned sour.

"WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU?" he yelled, wiping the water from his face with the palm of his hand.

"I could ask you the same question! Now…" she began as she pulled out her wand and placed a locking charm on the exit door "We are going to talk about why you are being so callous to me, for no reason, and why you seem to think it is okay."

"Piss off! I'm not talking to you and I don't have to! I'm not dealing with this shit! You hate me remember? You said it yourself last night. So why even bother?" he asked angrily as he shook his head to remove the water from his hair.

"I'm bothering because no matter how hard I try, I can't seem to stop caring about you! I deserve to know what I did and why you are acting like a like a pompous maggot! And don't you dare start insulting me and telling me bullshit excuses, because I swear on Godric's grave Malfoy, I will hex you again and again until you tell me the truth!"

"I CAN'T!" He yelled, swinging his legs off the love seat to put himself in a sitting position.

"Why the hell not? We aren't leaving this room until you tell me! I doubt you made an unbreakable vow with someone; so tell me NOW Malfoy!"

"NO!"

She was getting so frustrated with him now that she had to stop herself from pulling out her wand and hexing him again. She didn't want to hurt him; no matter how much he hurt her, but she wanted to get to the bottom of things.

"For Godric's sakes-"

"JUST STOP GRANGER! Please…just stop." He interrupted.

"Like hell I will! And you know-"

"Stay with me." He asked looking defeated while he lowered his head.

Hermione stood there frozen looking at him in shock and confusion.

"What?" she asked, finally able to speak after that startling question.

He looked up at her with the most saddened expression across his face.

"You suggested last night that you wanted to just leave me here…I…I thought about it and to be honest it's not such a bad idea."

"What?"

 _'She still didn't understand. She wasn't serious about leaving him. She was just so angry. Why would he want to be left here?'_

"I can be free here…I can be free to be with you." He explained. "I wouldn't have to worry about my parents or getting married when I don't want to, and you wouldn't have to be shunned for being with me or being my friend. No one would give you shit here Hermione…so…stay with me…stay here in this time…with me."

"I don't…is that why you've been acting like a prick to me? You are worried about what will happen in the present? Godric Draco! That doesn't give you the right to treat me like garbage! You never even gave me a chance to give my opinion on the matter. You can't just make choices for me!"

"I'm sorry okay! I was trying to do what I thought was best! I thought that if I pushed you away, things would be easier for you when we got back! I didn't want to be the reason for your misery!"

"You could never be the reason for my misery. If I choose to have you in my life, then that is my decision to make, and mine alone. If my friends can't accept my choices then they are no friends of mine; but Malfoy… I have to go back; I can't not see my friends. And we don't know how us staying in the past, would change the present. For all we know we stay here and Voldemort wins the war. We could potentially sacrifice a lot of people's lives just because you don't want to deal with your life at home." She explained calming down some.

"I don't care about sacrificing people who technically at this moment, aren't even born yet!" he countered as he stood up from his seat to stand directly in front of her.

He was leaning over her, so she slightly leaned back but quickly stood up straight. She wasn't going to let him have the upper hand.

"Well I care! Those people are my friends and my family! You're friends and family would be just fine since they are pureblood and sided with evil, but mine…" She stopped raising her voice at him and looked him in the eyes with fresh tears rolling down her freckled cheeks. "It took me a long time to find my parents Draco, a long time. You would never understand the measures I had to take to protect them from the war…It took seventeen…seventeen different powerful Aurors, and three years to try and reverse the memory charm I used. I just got them back…I can't lose them again…I can't stay here. As much as I want to I just…can't." she finished as she bowed her head and wiped her face with the back of her hand.

"I don't want to be your friend Hermione."

She looked back up at him. Overcome with sadness, she started to walk away.

 _'She couldn't take any more heartbreak. She had taken more than enough to last two life times. She even told herself in the beginning of this journey, that she wouldn't let him hurt her; and yet here she is, allowing him to crush her heart and he didn't even seem to care. She didn't know why she kept allowing him to do it. He only cared about what he wanted, but she just couldn't stop wanting to be with him. She couldn't stop wanting to keep him in her life. She knew this wouldn't be the last time she would allow him to break her heart; but for now, she needed to lick her wounds before he threw more salt in them.'_

She didn't make it very far before he stopped her. He took hold of her arm and gently turned her around.

"You don't get it…I don't want to hurt you. I never did. But you're not seeing this through my eyes. I don't want to be the reason for your pain…I can't, it would break me. I couldn't handle Pansy tormenting you or my parents…I just wouldn't be able to handle them hurting you because of me. I don't care about the people in the present and I have my reasons-"

"So you're just going to throw me to the side when we get back? Like I didn't mean anything to you? Push me away when things get hard? Stop trying to make decisions for me!"

"I'm not! I am making decisions for myself! I am doing what needs to be done! You mean everything to me Hermione which it why I have to push you away. Anything good in my life gets ruined and I won't have you be dragged down with me." He claimed as he moved away from her and sat down on one of the arm chairs. She followed him but didn't sit down. She stood just a few feet away and looked at him. Her anger was boiling over and she needed him to tell her the truth.

 _'Nothing he is saying makes any sense. She could take care of herself and he knows that; there has to be something he not telling her. It had to be something serious to make him want her to hate him. She knows the consequences for her choices but there has to be something more for him to be doing this. She was getting close to the truth. She just needed to push a little more.'_

"That isn't your choice to make! I am a big girl and I am perfectly capable of standing up for myself. Your reasoning for doing this makes sense; yes, but at the same time it's not enough to make me understand why you don't want to be friends with me now or why you don't want to just be with me until we go back. What aren't you telling me? What has gotten you so worked up that-"

"I don't want to be friends with you because it would be too hard to say goodbye to you when we leave!" he cut her off, leaned his arms on his legs and entwined his hands together. "I don't want to be friends with you because I almost got you pregnant. After you mentioned children yesterday, I remembered I forgot to do a contraption spell the other night. Realizing how much danger I would put you in, put everything into perspective. But the real reason I walked away at lunch is because I discovered something…"

 _'Things were finally becoming clearer. That explains why he did a contraption spell in the middle of a crowded room but what could he have possibly found out, that would make him go to such extreme measures, just to be rid of her?'_

She raised an eyebrow at him and crossed her arms in front of her chest. She was finally getting somewhere. She knew whatever he said next would explain why he changed his mind about her in a matter of minutes. She didn't know if it had to do with the stones or them being stuck in the past, but whatever it was she would find a way to fix it. She wasn't about to lose him. She saw him take a deep breath as he lowered his head.

"I don't want to be your friend Hermione because…because I love you."


	15. Chapter 15- Behind The Man

**ONLY Draco's POV  
**

 **THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS MATURE CONTENT. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!**

Chapter 15- Behind the Man

Thursday, April 11th, 1912 09:06am

He didn't mean to admit it out loud. He barely had enough time to admit it to himself. But he couldn't lie to her anymore; she deserved to know the truth. If he had taken the time to look at her when he told her he loved her, he would have seen the shock written on her face; but he didn't look up. It was too late to take it back anyway. She was too quite though, but he knew her not loving him back, was a price he would have to pay. That was just another reason he didn't want to tell her.

"Draco…I…it's too soon…I care deeply about you, I do, and you make me so happy, but…I'm not there yet. Please understand." She replied after a few minutes passed.

 _'He knew she wasn't there yet but the fact that she had said 'yet', meant that there was a possibility. Maybe he was thinking too hard about everything. Maybe he should just live in the moment. Let things play out the way they play out. But what if…what if he could find a way out of the marriage agreement? He would have to look it over when they got back but what if there was a way to get out of marrying Astoria. It might be hard, if not impossible. And even if he couldn't, he still wanted to have Hermione in his life. He could possibly handle his parents and friends if it meant he could be with her. He would have to think more on it. For now he was done fighting with her. He loved her and she knew. That is all that mattered at the moment.'_

He looked up at her. He needed her to understand where he was coming from, to hear him loud and clear, he needed her to forgive him.

"I understand. I wasn't really expecting you to say it back. It's just…I'm not good with feelings and…I got scared. I didn't want to push you away; I thought I had to. I don't know how to do this. I don't know how to love someone, especially in this kind of situation. But I know I love you. I don't want to scare you away. I would rather you hate me than be afraid of me, or afraid that if you don't say it back, it would ruin what we have. I know it is stupid of me to think about what the future…present…whatever, might hold, but it's a big deal to me. YOU are a big deal to me. I've never had someone care for me the way you do. Even when I've been a git to you and you're mad at me, you still bring me food; you still treat me like you would anyone of your friends. That's who you are. But I never thought it would happen to me. It scares me…loving you…I just want you to be happy. I never thought that I could be someone to make you happy…I panicked at lunch. I didn't know how to deal with the realization of what I discovered on top of being forced to marry someone else. I honestly thought the best way to handle it was to have you hate me. I was wrong. I was wrong not only to hurt you but I was wrong about wanting you to hate me. It hurt so much to hear you say it out loud. I thought it was what I wanted…what you needed. I-"

"Draco?" She butted in and crouched in front of him. Placing her hand gently into his, she squeezed it some before rubbing her thumb against his smooth skin. "I might not love you, but you do make me happy. Our first date, you didn't have to do everything I wanted; but you did. And doing so made me see you in a different light. You're not a heartless person. I don't think you actually ever were. We all get scared sometimes; its human nature, but I'm not going to run away because you grew feelings for me. If anything it shows me that you have a heart. I don't fully trust you when it comes to your actions, but I don't think of you any differently Draco. I just…I now know a little bit more about you. I want to be your friend when we get back. Please just let me be in your life." she finished with a small smile.

"So…you forgive me…for being a pompous maggot, as you so eloquently put it?" he asked, returning the smile with his own. "I really am sorry."

"Stop apologizing to me. We both already know you are just going to do something else that will make me mad at you. I already forgive you. Now, take a shower, because you smell and we can go meet Dimitra and Robert for breakfast before it ends."

"I don't smell! Malfoy's never smell bad! If anything, you smell and need a shower!" he joked.

"I do not!"

"Yes you do…I think I can fix it though."

Before she had time to retort, he stood up and threw her over his shoulder. She protested but he wasn't listening. He smacked her ass and she let out a squeal as he made his way to the bathroom.

"Well shit. Guess it's going to be a tight fit my little lioness. Shower isn't as big as I'm used to, but it'll do. Just means I can be closer to you." he flirted as he set her down on her feet.

He walked passed her, over to the shower, and turned on the water. Turning back around, he saw that Hermione seemed a little nervous. He unbuttoned his shirt as he started to walk over to her but she took a step back when he got close. He stopped in his tracks and looked at her confused. He didn't know how to proceed. She looked almost scared of him.

"I promise I'm not going to have sex with you Granger. I just wanted to forget the horse shit we went through the last few hours and shower with you. If you are that uncomfortable, than you are more than welcome to shower after me; I won't force you to do something you don't want to." He explained with some sadness in his voice.

She just looked at him. She didn't respond or show a hint of anything she wanted to do; she just stood there. After a few seconds of nothingness, she took a step towards the door. Draco let out a breath and turned away from her as he started to undress. He heard the door click shut, so he let out another breath as he stepped into the warm shower and closed the curtain. Letting the water from the overhanging shower head wash over him; drowning away his sorrows, he placed both hands on the wall in front of him, lowered his head and started to think about how stupid he had been and how he could make up for his mistakes. He was so focused on his thinking, that he didn't hear the shower curtain open or a person step in behind him.

He was about to punch the wall in frustration, when he felt two soft hands glide across his hips and on to his abs. Lips lightly kissed his upper back before a forehead rested between his shoulder blades. Turning his head slightly to see the beautiful creature that was hugging him, he let a smile cross his lips.

 _'She came. How could he ever deserve someone like her? What did he possibly do in life, to be able to have this moment with her?'_

He took a few seconds to relish in the moment before removing his hands from the wall and turned to face her. Her arms still wrapped around his waist, she looked up at him with such care as she reached up and pulled his head into hers; placing a small kiss on his lips. She released the kiss but still held his head as their foreheads connected.

Draco pulled back, after taking some time to revel at her touch, and left a gentle kiss upon the top of her head. Reaching over for the bar of soap, provided by the staff, he lathered it up in his hands while she embraced him in a hug. Moving her hair to the right side of her neck, he laid her head on his chest and started to caress her back with the soap. He started in small circles, making sure her whole back was soapy before guiding the bar to her left shoulder. He moved the soap along her neck and then back, past her shoulder, and down her arm. Moving her hair to the other shoulder, he treated her right side in the same manner.

Once he was finished, he turned her around so her back was now leaning against his chest. Lathering the soap up again, he placed the bar on her top of her chest and started to wash her collar bone. He worked his way across her body; being careful not to linger in one area too long, as he lead the soap down her legs. Standing back up, he maneuvered them both around so she was standing fully under the water. As the water ran down her body, washing away the soap, he grabbed the shampoo and poured it into his hand. Moving her slightly away from the spraying water, he massaged the shampoo into her soft brown curls. She let out a soft moan that made his dick instantly hard. He tried to hide it but with the shower being so small, it was next to impossible, so he ignored it and continued to focus on washing her hair.

After she was fully clean, he saw her take the bar of soap he used on her, lather it up in her hands, and placed it on his chest. He never imagined that she would want to wash him, but he wasn't going to argue with himself over it, so he let her do what she wanted.

She guided the soap across his body in the same fashion he used on her, but she paused when she reached his left forearm. He stiffened up, thinking she was going to run, but she didn't. Instead she lifted his arm and placed a benevolent kiss on the brand before washing it with the soap. He relaxed his body and closed his eyes as she continued liked she never saw the ugly mark.

She wasn't anything like the girl he imagined her to be behind closed doors. She was so much more and she just kept on surprising him. Unfortunately though, the movements she was making with the soap in her hands, was getting to be too much. His dick was extremely hard now and he wanted to fuck her so badly, but he told her he wouldn't.

 _'It was just supposed to be a simple shower together but somehow it became bigger than that. It became passionate. Something he had never experienced before. This was the first time he had ever showered with anyone, let alone wash or be washed by another person. Everything he did with her was so new and exciting; he just wanted to enjoy it. He was determined not to ruin it by trying to claim her right now. No matter how much he wanted to, he had to fight off the urge.'_

Before he could think any more on the subject, he felt her nudge him to turn him around. He complied with her but instantly regretted it.

"Draco, where did you get these scars?" Hermione asked softly. She still continued to wash his back which surprised him some.

He didn't want to answer her but he was done ignoring her. He was done lying to her.

 _'If she was going to run, she would have done it already.'_

"My…my father…during the war." He admitted a little worryingly. "The dark lord made him use the Cruciatus curse on me repeatedly for days, as part of his punishment for his failures. It…it was his way of teaching my father a lesson. After the first day, I found my father in his study. It…it was the first and only time I have ever seen my father cry. I had blamed him for what he did; he fucked up. It might not have been his idea to torture me, but it was his mistakes that got us in that mess. I wanted to scream at him, curse him back, but…he was so broken…I couldn't say anything. All the hatred I felt for that man left me. So I left him alone. I chose, instead…to forgive him."

She didn't say anything for while which made him want to end the shower and walk away, but before he could move, he felt her, ever so softly, kiss each and every long scar that lay upon his back.

"I'm sorry you had to go through that…I know what it feels like. No one should have to go through that kind of pain…especially so many times…"

He turned around to face her and stared directly into her addicting caramel eyes. He wanted to drown in them. She cupped the side of his face in the palm of her hand, as she stared into him; like she was gazing into his soul.

"You are a great man Draco. Those scars are proof of that. Don't let anyone ever tell you otherwise. Not even yourself. If you ever doubt yourself, I want you to look in the mirror and see what I see. I want you to see a man who won't ever give up, a man who is capable of love, a man…who is capable of forgiveness. You are so brave Draco and you are so much stronger than you think you are."

At that moment, he fell more in love with her than he ever thought possible.

 _'No one has ever said such comforting words to him in his life, let alone mean them. But as he looked into her eyes he knew she was serious. He knew that she knew him more than he even knew himself. It was going to be brutal to just be her friend when they get back, but he would always remember how she made him feel; right here, right now, in this very moment…she made him feel loved.'_

He couldn't think of how to respond to her. Everything she just spoke made his heart jump. He could no longer help himself anymore; he had to at least kiss her. He had to show her how much her words meant to him; so he lowered his head and gifted her, the most heartfelt kiss he has ever given. He poured his heart and soul into the tender moment. He didn't want it to stop. Never in his life had he felt such joy; not even when they had sex for the first time. This kiss was different; it meant something so much more than either of them could comprehend. He was telling her he loved her in a way that words couldn't.

 _'He knew then, that he never wanted to give her up. He wanted to marry her, have a family with her, and grow old together. He wanted to show her every day how much he loved her. He was going to have her one way or the other…Even if that meant infidelity or giving up the Head of House title. He was willing to risk it all. He had to find a way to keep her…forever. He was a Malfoy after all, and Malfoy's always get what they want.'_

Hermione broke the wondrous kiss and looked at him with such passion, he almost couldn't contain himself. He wanted her, all of her, but he made a promise and he wasn't about to break it; so he stepped around her and rinsed himself off as a distraction, but noticed her eyes never left him. She looked like she wanted to say something but was too scared to speak.

"What's wrong little cub?" he asked softly.

"Draco…I want you to make love to me." She admitted nervously.

He was blown away, but he wasn't going to let it show, and he would be damned if he denied her of her wish. It wasn't like he was breaking his promise. He only said he wouldn't have sex with her in the shower. He said nothing about outside the shower or if she requested it. He quickly turned off the water and kissed her again.

"Okay love." He stated before scooping her naked body into his arms and stepped out of the shower.

He was going to walk them to the bedroom but he changed his mind and placed her on the red love seat in the Sitting Room. He fixed the pillows so they weren't bunched up uncomfortably behind her, and gently pushed her to lie down. He climbed on top of her, leaving his left foot on the floor and started kissing down her neck; careful not to leave claiming marks on her skin, even though it was oh so tempting. Her warm breath breezed through his wet hair and he almost came right then. He moved his lips on to hers to calm himself down, and she wrapped her left leg around his waist. He caressed her right leg and went to move his hand between her thighs but she grabbed his wrist to stop him.

"No foreplay this time, I just want you." she expressed.

He nodded his head in understanding and lifted her right leg around his hips. She grinded into him and he could feel the warmth of her wet core against the shaft of his hard dick. He wanted to enter her but he needed to make sure this was really happening. He leaned closer to her and looked into her eyes.

"Are you sure this is what you want?" he asked desperately.

She nodded her head. "I have never been more sure of anything in my life." She replied with a smile before cupping his head in her hands and brought his lips to hers.

They never broke the kiss as he slipped himself inside her. They both let out soft moans into each other's mouths as the lips below her succulent cherry, tightened around him. She was so warm and so tight, he once again almost came, but he controlled himself. He needed to make this moment last, so he waited a few seconds to gather his thoughts and continued to kiss her. She parted his mouth with her tongue and he happily obliged to her request. Deepening the kiss he moved his hips slowly, to thrust in and out of her. Any other time he would have begun to move faster but this time he didn't. He wanted every thrust to be felt between them; memorized like it was the last time. Pulling away from her mouth he looked at her. He wanted to remember every detail of her face, every breath she took, and every moan she made.

Their eyes never left each other's, even when he stopped for a brief second to remove her right leg from behind him and placed it over his shoulder, to open her up more. She instinctively hooked her leg around the back of his neck as he continued to slowly move in and out; circling his hips every so often, making her wiggle her body for more. He couldn't hold on much longer so he reached down and started teasing her clit with his thumb. Almost instantly, she whispered his name as her walls constricted around him. She let out a sensual moan as she rode out her orgasm. Satisfied with her pleasure, he steadily thrusted a few more times, before letting himself spill into her while he whispered her name into her ear.

Breathing heavily, he looked down at the woman he just made love to and couldn't help but smile. Placing a supple kiss on her forehead he pulled himself out of her. Grabbing his wand of the coffee table, he did cleansing spell to clean them both up, before placing a hand on her stomach to produce a wordless and wandless contraption spell. After he was done, he reached out a hand to help her stand and walked her to the bedroom to get dressed. He helped her tie her corset with his wand before she put on new white dress, patterned in large green summer flowers.

Once they were dressed they headed to the door but it wouldn't open. Draco stood there confused so he took out his wand to perform the unlocking charm and tried to open the door again.

"For the love of-"

"I put a locking charm on it. Remember?" She giggled. "It's of my own creation. I couldn't have you leaving before I got the information I wanted."

"Do I even want to know how you came up with your charm?" he asked sarcastically.

"Reading, of course." She replied nonchalantly.

She cast a wordless charm and he heard the door click. Rolling his eyes, he moved to grab the handle but heard a knock at the door. Raising an eyebrow at Hermione he cautiously opened the door. Mr. Strafford stood on the other side with a tray of covered food in his hands.

"Good Morning Mrs. Lovegood, Mr. Lovegood. I do apologize for the disturbance but I am afraid Ms. Black insisted." Strafford stated cheerfully.

"No worries at all Mr. Strafford. How can we help you this lovely morning?" Hermione asked.

"Well, you see it is almost 10:00am which means the end of breakfast. Ms. Black was afraid you both have overslept due to Mr. Lovegood's sudden illness that struck suddenly yesterday. She wanted to make sure you were both fed and to escort Mr. Lovegood here to the infirmary if he was not feeling better."

"I'm not-" Draco began but Hermione had roughly elbowed him in the ribs causing him to stop abruptly and look at her with cold eyes.

"He is doing much better! Turns out it was just one of those twenty-four hour stomach bugs. Please let Dimitra know we send our gratitude and we will meet her for lunch or even tea if she is willing." Hermione cut in.

The butler raised an eyebrow in doubt but shook it off, nodded his head, and asked to come in. The couple stepped out of the way as he entered the room and set the tray on the coffee table.

"Your breakfast consists of Eggs Benedict, with a side of pork bacon, Italian sausage, wheat toast and strawberry jam. There is an extra serving of orange juice for the mister at Ms. Black's request. Shall you need anything else?"

Draco shook his head no.

"Very well, I shall be back in one hour to collect your dishes." Strafford stated as he nodded his head and walked out the door. But before he finished closing the door, he stopped and turned on his heels. "I am dreadfully sorry, I almost forgot." He pulled out a small envelope from his suit pocket and handed it over to Draco. "I know not if you are familiar with the Malfoy's, but they have requested I give this to you and one to Ms. Black as well."

With that he bowed his head and closed the door, leaving Draco and Hermione standing in the Sitting Room, utterly speechless.


	16. Chapter 16- Realization

_**I don't normally do song selections but this song works so well with this chapter.**_

 _ **Song choice- If Only–Dove Cameron: 3 minutes and 49 seconds long. Starts when Hermione stands at the top of the stair case.  
**_

 _ **THIS CHAPTER IS ONLY HERMIONE'S POV**_

Chapter 16- Realization

Thursday, April 11th, 1912 06:20pm

 _*Flashback*_

Hermione stared at Draco in bewilderment as he broke the seal on the envelope and read the parchment aloud.

 _ **Dear Draco Lovegood,**_

 _ **My handmaiden Susan; or as you may know her, Ms. Applegate, has told me a lot about you and your wife's interest in The Castle. My husband and I would love to meet you both. It is our honor to request your presence at dinner tonight. We shall meet you in the Reception Hall at 06:50pm and proceed to dinner at 07:00pm. We will be dining with Mr. J. Bruce Ismay, Chairman and Managing Director of the White Star Line, and Mr. Thomas Andrews, Naval Architect of RMS Titanic and her sister ship RMS Olympic. Please dress in your best. We look forward to your arrival.**_

 _ **Yours Sincerely,**_

 _ **Aquila Malfoy**_

 _'Hermione couldn't believe it. The Malfoy's had requested to meet them at dinner. This not only would give them the opportunity to find out more about Draco's ancestors but it would also aid them in figuring out how to get the second stone. If they could get close enough to the Malfoy's, like they have with Dimitra, then they are as good as gold. But something about the two men names in the letter bothered her. She recognized those names but couldn't place them. Never in her life has she forgotten something but she could feel she was close to figuring out the missing pieces. She was determined to remember, even if it killed her.'_

 _*Flashback Ends*_

Hermione stood at the top of the Grand Staircase and nervously played with her dress. She had told Draco to head out before her and meet her at the bottom of the stairs by 06:20pm. She wanted to finally walk down the remarkable architecture and she wanted to do it in style. He never saw the shimmering, royal blue, short-sleeved gown she picked out for him. Nor did he see her hair in soft waves, pinned up to the left side of her neck with a blue butterfly comb. She wanted to surprise him. And now here she was, standing on top of the grandest staircase she had ever seen, and was too nervous to walk down. She peered around the corner of the golden column and could see him facing away from the stairs, shaking hands with Robert Hoarse.

 _'He looked so handsome all dressed up. His all black attire made him stand out from everyone but at the same time, blend in. He looked comfortable in this era. It was almost like he belonged. Maybe she could stay here; with him…No…she had to go home. She had to be able to see her friends and her parents. She couldn't just abandon them.'_

Leaning her back against the column, out of the sight of the people standing below her; Hermione took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She needed to gather all her courage, which somehow spilt all over the floor, and breathe.

 _'You can do this. Just take a step and go.'_

Finally taking a step from her hiding spot, she paused when she saw Dimitra look up at her with a smile and wink, Dimitra placed a hand on Draco's wrist to stop his conversation and pointed with her eyes. He followed the path she was looking to the top of the stairs; his eyes landing on Hermione. The butterflies in her stomach fluttered so hard they threatened to break free through her skin.

 _'He had never looked at her that way. In fact, no one had ever looked at her that way before.'_

Shaking away the thought, she took a few steps forward to place herself closer to the banister at the top of the staircase.

' _Well…it's now or never.'_

She straightened her shouldered and placed her left, long white gloved, hand on the banister for balance. Taking another deep breath in and letting it out slowly, she took her first step down the Grand Staircase. Draco's eyes never left hers as she descended. He made her feel like she was the only one in the room; like she was important, like she was actually one of them; a pure blooded rich woman. She felt amazingly special and she couldn't help but question, if the stairs had also played a part in it.

She stopped on the bottom step as Draco made his way over to her. She felt phenomenal as all her nerves were washed away. Draco took her free hand and lightly kissed the top of her knuckles.

"Darling, you look beautiful." He claimed in the most proper way. He leaned into to kiss her cheek and whispered in her ear. "You, are the most beautiful woman in this room and you have taken my breath away. I am the luckiest man in the world right now."

He pulled back and winked at her as her cheeks flushed bright red. Finally able to look away from him after what felt like forever, she stepped of the step and greeted the couple waiting behind him. The four of them walked to the Reception Hall and Hermione watched Draco talk to many wealthy people, neither of them knew. She was hypnotized at his poise and grace; his ability to blend in. He introduced her as his wife and every time her heart pounded. She could see him as her husband. She wanted him to be her husband. But with their situation back home, she knew she couldn't have that.

 _'In order for him to be her husband, other than not marrying Astoria Greengrass, she would have to love him. It was too soon for that. Logically and emotionally she wasn't ready for it. But he loved her and he admitted it to her; in more ways than one. So why couldn't she love him back? What was stopping her? ...Possibly because every scenario she played out in her head, ended with one or both of them miserable. She wouldn't allow herself to say those three little words that held so much promise, if she couldn't keep him in the end. She would stick to her strong feelings and leave them at that. She had to think logically and use her intellect wisely. She didn't love him. She couldn't. The universe wouldn't allow her.'_

She continued to watch Draco talk to some rich bloke about how they came into their money, but she wasn't paying too much attention to the conversation. Instead she looked at Draco and imagined a marriage she would never see, children that would never exist, and a life she would never have with him.

 _'If only.'_

"Something troubling you dear?" Dimitra whispered in her ear.

"What? Oh no. I'm sorry I was just thinking of my family." She lied.

"You miss them, don't you? I know it's hard to marry into money. Robert tells me during every fight, but know this dear; they will always love you. Never forget where you came from, but don't let it hold you back either." Dimitra stated as she patted Hermione's arm and walked back to her fiancé.

 _'She had a point, but now was not the time to think it over.'_

She turned towards Draco to listen in to the conversation she was completely out of the loop on, and tried her best to pay attention. However it was useless, so she just laughed when anyone else laughed and nodded when she thought it was appropriate. They finally moved away from man and made their way across the room. As they walked, Hermione felt a small tap on her shoulder so she turned around, releasing her hold on Draco's arm, to see the person who wanted her attention.

"Good evening. You must be Hermione Lovegood. Mr. Strafford was kind enough to point us in the right direction. Oh dear. I am truly sorry, I have not introduced myself. My name is Aquila Malfoy and this is my husband Cygnus. It is my pleasure to finally meet you. Susan has told me so much about you and your love for architecture. She never told me how simply stunning you look."

Hermione was thrown back. Never in her life, other than Draco, has a Malfoy ever been kind to her. Although, these Malfoy's, don't know of her blood status. It was all so surreal to her.

"Th…thank you Mrs. Malfoy. That is very kind of you. The pleasure is all mines. Please let me introduce you to my husband."

Hermione turned around and made her way back over to Draco. Tapping him on the arm, he looked over at her before looking behind her. His face went into surprise, but he quickly recovered and nodded his head at his faux wife. They took a few steps back to the Malfoy's and Draco instantly reached out a hand to shake Cygnus's hand.

"Mr. Malfoy what an honor! I am Draco Lovegood, I have heard so much about you and the company you own. I would love to talk more in detail about the workings of your business. I myself am starting my own company in America and would love to hear of your expertise. That is, if you are willing." Draco said enthusiastically.

"Of course my dear boy! We shall talk over a Brandy in the Smoking Lounge, after dinner." Cygnus replied.

Hermione took note that Cygnus was a tall man, but only a few inches taller than Draco. He looked intimidating but sweet. She wondered though, if he had a sibling that gave birth to Draco's line, since the only thing that looked like him, was his long platinum blond hair.

"It would be my honor...And of course, I could never forget the ever so glowing Mrs. Malfoy. Thank you both so much for the invitation to dinner. My wife and I have looked forward to it all day." Draco exclaimed as he took Aquila's hand and left a feather light kiss upon her knuckles.

She was a petite woman, not much taller than Hermione herself, but she was so elegant with her pin straight, black hair, tied up in a tight bun. Hermione was in awe of her beauty. She looked nothing like a Malfoy but she most definitely held the presence of one.

"Oh. What a gentleman. It is a pleasure to meet you Mr. Lovegood…Forgive me, but are you sure you're not a Malfoy? The resemblance to my husband's younger brother, Pyxis is uncanny. You could almost be his twin." She replied with grace.

"The luck I would need to be a Malfoy, would have to be great." He began with a chuckle. "I assure you though I am a Lovegood through and through. I appreciate the compliment however. It is an honor to be compared to a family as great as yours."

"What a pity. Anyways, shall we be seated?" Cygnus asked "We are waiting on three more guests but I will be sure to let the staff know to seat them with us."

The four made their way over to a long oval table that sat near the ships large windows. There were nine table settings placed with the most extravagant china, Hermione had ever seen.

"Are these all for us?" she whispered to Draco as she eyed the silverware.

"Just start from the outside and work your way in." he explained after letting out a small laugh.

A waiter removed the reserved sign from the table before seating the guests for dinner. Cygnus sat at the head of the oval while Aquila sat to his right. Hermione had no idea where to sit, so she followed Draco's lead as he pulled out her chair next to Mrs. Malfoy, before taking a seat to her left. Just then Dimitra and Robert arrived along with Mr. Ismay and Mr. Andrews. Introductions were served around the table before they took they sat down.

Everyone was seated by the time the ninth mystery guest arrived. It was none other than Mrs. Margaret Brown. She introduced herself to the table and sat between Draco and Robert. Hermione had learned through conversation, how Brown's husband had struck oil somewhere out west and she was what they call 'new money'.

Mr. Ismay ordered the buffet for the table and a round of Champagne before fully settling into his seat. Once dinner had been served, everyone had started talking to each other more. Hermione had had a good conversation with Aquila about the structure and design of The Castle, while the men had cracked few jokes. The conversation was flowing smoothly; everyone seemed very comfortable with each other now.

"-and Mr. Brown had no idea I had hidden the money in the stove-" Margaret belted out a laugh. "So he comes home drunk as a pig to celebrate, and he lights a fire!"

Everyone let out a laugh as Draco almost choked on his meal due to the surprise ending of the story. Hermione giggled as she rubbed his back, before taking a bit of her roast beef. She felt her confidence grow once she heard Mr. Ismay praise Mr. Andrews for building the Titanic. She figured that since the architect was present; now would be a good time to gain more details about the ship of dreams.

"Your ship is a wonder Mr. Andrews, truly. I was wondering if you could tell us more about it. It is quite spectacular." She chimed in as the laughter died down.

"Thank you Mrs. Lovegood." Mr. Andrews replied modestly, giving Hermione a meaningful look.

"What is there to know about her? She's unsinkable!" Mr. Ismay cut in.

"She's made of iron sir. I assure you, she can." Andrews retorted.

"Please forgive me Mr. Andrews, but I did the sum in my head earlier, and it seems...that there aren't enough lifeboats for everyone on board." Dimitra questioned.

"About half, actually. Very clever of you to notice, Ms. Black. I had put in some new davits, which can take an extra row of boats inside the one you have seen. But it was thought, by some, that the deck would look too cluttered. So, I was overruled… Sleep soundly though, I've built you a good ship; strong and true."

"How absurd and a waste of deck space, as it is on an unsinkable ship. There is nothing but icebergs to stand in Titanic's way! I'm sure she could plow straight through them all and they would not even leave a dent!" Ismay exclaimed proudly.

Hermione froze with her fork in her hand. She couldn't think, couldn't move; couldn't breathe. One little word brought everything down upon her; Iceberg.

It all came rushing back to her so fast. She remembered. She had read about the Titanic in fourth year but passed it off to help Harry with the tournament.

 _'That explains why she didn't remember. She was so focused on helping Harry that every muggle book she read that year, came last to him…No! No, no, no, no, no! How could she be so stupid! She had plenty of signs but she didn't pay attention to them. They were all right there, in front of her face, and she ignored them. She had to get out of there. She had to tell Draco.'_

She dropped her fork and it hit her plate with a loud clang. Everyone went quiet and looked at her but she couldn't move. She had to think of a plan but nothing was coming to her. They couldn't disapparate due to time travel law and they had no floo powder. They were stuck, in the middle of the ocean, on a doomed ship.

Draco placed his hand on her back and looked at her with concern.

"Hermione my love? Are you okay?" He asked calmly.

She couldn't speak without giving away that she knew of ships fate to everyone. So she turned her head slowly and looked Draco dead in the eye.

"I suddenly don't feel so well…Draco darling, can you take me back to our room?" she lied.

"Of course." He replied confused but looked back to the group with frown. "If you'll excuse us, I would like to escort my wife back to our stateroom. She is feeling unwell. Thank you so much for dinner. We must do it again soon."

Everyone nodded their heads and wished Hermione better, but she didn't care. She had to get Draco out of there. She had to tell him everything she remembered. She had to tell him that the ship will sink.

 _'With them still on it.'_


	17. Chapter 17- The More You Know

**PART 2 OF THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS MATURE CONTENT. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK. THINGS ARE STEAMING UP ; )**

Chapter 17- The More You Know

Thursday, April 11th, 1912 07:45pm

Draco followed Hermione back up the Grand Staircase and down the corridor towards their room. She was walking so fast he had to actually take larger steps to keep up with her. She was acting strange and he couldn't figure out why. Everything seemed to have been going well at dinner. He wondered if she was pulling a 'him' and running away. He hoped she wasn't. He just got her back. He didn't want her to push him away.

They finally reached their state room and Hermione swung the door opened so fast he thought it would have broken if she used anymore strength.

' _Was she mad at him? What would possess her to act like this? He didn't do anything that he knew of, to make her mad at him. Was she mad at Mr. Ismay for what he said? Salazar! He was thinking like a woman! Stop it! Just ask her._

He entered the room and closed the door. She was pacing the length of the love seat. She was angry at something, he just didn't know what.

"Hermione what is wrong?" he asked confused.

She didn't say anything to him. She kept pacing back and forth, cursing out loud.

"Shit, shit, shit, fuck! God damn it, shit!"

"Granger!" he raised his voice to grab her attention, once he realized she wasn't listening to him. "As much as I love hearing you curse, I would rather hear it with you under me. Now tell me what is wrong, so I can help?"

"We are screwed!" She began as she stopped her pacing and looked at him. "We are fucking one hundred percent, absolutely, positively, screwed!" she explained, although not very well.

"What are you talking about? Everything was going just fine unt-"

"I remember!"

"What?" He asked, still confused.

"I remember how I recognized this ship Draco! How Mr. Ismay, Mr. Andrews, and Mrs. Brown's names seemed so familiar to me. I was right when I said the Titanic looked familiar to me! God we are so royally fucked!" She stated as he threw her hands in the air and crouched down to the ground. He hid her face in her hands and began to curse again.

"Granger! You're going to have to be more specific."

She removed her hands from her face and looked up at him.

"Draco this ship is famous-"

"Well I can see why, it's only the largest steam ship in the world right now-" he cut her off still not getting anywhere.

' _Why is she stating the obvious and how does it have anything to do with her being so upset?'_

"STOP CUTTING ME OFF!" She screams as she rose from her position near the floor.

He threw his hands up in defense. He wasn't trying to start a fight with her, but he needed to know what she was going on about.

"Alright sorry; tell me what this ship is famous for then." He replied calmly.

"We shouldn't be here! The wizarding world wouldn't know of it because it's not taught in school and it's highly unlikely your ancestors would tell the stories, since it was built by muggles! But in the muggle world, my world, the Titanic is famous for more than being largest luxury liner…it's famous for killing over fifteen hundred people!" she explained through tears. "We're not going to make it to New York Draco. This ship will sink!"

He stood there frozen to the ground. He was dumbfounded at the news she just said.

' _She's lying. The ship can't sink…but Mr. Andrew's even said she's made of iron and she can. He is the bloody architect! He of all people would know! But why is she saying this now? Is it for revenge? She decided to create some random made up story to scare him; to get back at him for being a piece of shit to her before. Or maybe she is just mixing ships up?'_

"You're joking right? This is all a joke. You've got your ships mixed up that's all." He was finally able to say through his shock and fear.

"I am serious! This isn't some kind of joke Malfoy. This is real and we are stuck on this ship, in the middle of the Atlantic!"

"How- When?" he asked firmly.

"What?"

"When? When will this ship sink? How does it even sink?" he demanded.

"It…it hits an iceberg…I can't remember when."

"It…Blood hell! The one blasted thing in the ocean for it to hit and it hits it? I need to you remember when it happens, Granger!"

"Why does it matter? We are stuck on the ship regardless! We can't get off!" she yelled.

"No but we can damn well try and save the ship!"

"Are you mad? Do you have any idea what that would do to the present? Bad things happen to wizards who mess with time Malfoy! We can't change the past!"

"I am not staying on a vessel that is going to kill over a thousand people Granger. Us possibly included! We can steer the ship away or…or break the iceberg." He suggested in a panicked daze.

"Oh my G- WE. CAN'T. CHANGE. THE. PAST MALFOY! What don't you get about that? Have you never heard of the butterfly effect; chaos theory? Even wizards know about it! For all we know, being on this ship right now has already caused changes to the future. We do something as huge as saving over fifteen hundred lives that should have died, and someone bigger and more horrible than Voldemort is born! Or worse; we could possibly cease to exist because of it! And even if we could change history, it would take at least eighty powerful wizards and witched to move a ship this size, in time, and at the speed she is going. And let's talk about the iceberg shall we! It would take even more power to move or break the thing because it is ten times the size underneath the water; WHICH IS THE PART THE SHIP HITS!" she frantically yelled that last part.

"So what do we do then!" he asked frustrated.

He was over arguing. They needed a plan and they needed it now.

"I…I don't know. We need to get the last stone and as soon as all hell breaks loose we find the first life boa- ah shit!"

"What? What now?"

"They will only allow women and children on first…most of the people who die on the ship are men and third class passengers." She claimed nervously.

"Are yo…ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME! I am going to kill Pansy for pushing you into me, causing this mess! So what you are saying, is that one of us, namely me, is going to be stuck on the ship as it FUCKING BLOODY SINKS!" he screamed in fear and anger.

"We'll find a way-"

"No! You will remember when this happens so I can prepare myself for this shit to go down!"

"I can't remember! Wait…Draco look in my mind! Maybe you can find the book!" she asked desperately.

"Granger, that could take hours, if not days to find, and that is IF I can even find it! I am not a pro at probing people's minds, just blocking my own from others." He stated.

"But you did it the other day."

"Yeah, because it was only a day since you've read that book and you already knew when and where you were, so it wasn't hard to find since your mind was already focused. Plus I was there; I knew what I was looking for." he ran his fingers threw his hair. "You're talking about going back years! I would have to search your whole mind for it! If I tried to dig around in your head, at the skill set I'm at, for that long, I could cause permanent damage to your memory! Worse case, it could kill one or both of us if I can't pull out in time! I am not risking that. I would rather go down with the ship than do something like that to you." he explained.

"So what do we do?" She asked as a fresh set of tears began to trickle down her cheeks.

He couldn't take her crying. He knew the fear she was feeling. They were both scared. They could both die and never see the present again. He pulled her into a hug and held her tightly as she cried into his chest. He rested his chin on top of her head and he lightly, swayed back and forth to calm her; to calm them both.

' _They needed to get the other stone first. No matter what happens, that was still priority number one. That way, if one of them doesn't make it…she could still return home.'_

"We will just have to play it out. But no matter what, we get that other stone, okay?"

She nodded her head, calming down slightly and pulled back from him. She walked around the love seat and sat down. He followed her to the seat and sat down next to her. He couldn't believe the predicament they were in.

' _First they get thrown into the past, then he unintentionally falls in love with his ex-enemy, and now they are stuck on the grandest ship in the world, which is about to sink to the bottom of the ocean. What exactly did he do to deserve all this? Was it some kind of test? If it was, he was surely failing.'_

"We…we can't tell anyone…not only would they think we are crazy, but it most definitely would cause a ripple in time." she began "We need to make a plan to get the stone and find a way off this ship. No matter what Draco, promise me that we make it home…together."

"Granger, you know I can't pro-"

"Please." She begged.

He looked into her eyes and couldn't take the sadness.

' _She was his world now. He would do anything for her. He had never broken a promise before in his life, but this was just too much. There was no way either of them knew what their fate would be. How could he make a promise that they would both make it off this ship alive? She looks so desperate. She only needs him to reassure her. He doesn't want to lie…but she left him no other choice.'_

"Alright…I promise."

X

Friday, April 12th, 1912 11:45am

Hermione sipped her tea as she looked out the window in the Dinning Saloon. She watched as the ocean passed by the Titanic; without a care in the world of the lives on board. Looking around at the room, her thoughts about the people on this ship grew to concern. She knew many of the people she saw, were going to die. But she couldn't tell anyone, which made knowing, that much harder.

"Are you sure you are feeling better Hermione? You look a fright." Margaret Brown asked with concern as she gently touched Hermione's arm.

"Yes...I am sorry. I didn't sleep well last night. I'm alright, just tired." She lied.

"Maybe you should go to the infirmary. There seems to be something going around. First your husband and now you, I am concerned." Dimitra chimed in with a worried expression.

"It okay Demi, I have just started my…well you know…" she lied again.

"Ah, womanhood can be such a bother. Wait until you reach my age! You will never get any sleep then!" Margaret joked as she let out a loud laugh.

"O-kay…Well Aquila and I were thinking of retiring to our rooms to freshen up. You look like you could us some relaxation as well. Should I have my handmaiden run you a bath after she is finished in my room?" Dimitra asked kindly.

"No thank you. I think I am just going to take a nap…" she started as an idea formed in her head. "But um…Do you both bathe right after tea? Forgive me for my intrusion; I was simply wondering if I should make plans for next time."

"It's quite alright dear. I don't normally but I've had a very busy morning, if you know what I mean." She winked.

"We do not need to hear of your sex life Dimitra! That is not a suitable conversation. It is extremely inappropriate to have such a discussion." Aquila stated firmly disgusted.

Dimitra turned her head, so Aquila couldn't see her roll her eyes and winked at Hermione again. Hermione couldn't help but smile at the rebellious woman. She was growing fond of her. She was like the sister she never had. Always rambunctious and didn't have a care about what anyone thought of her. She was a lot like Ginny in that way. Adventurous, but never naïve. And she always held ones best interest at heart. Hermione really hoped Dimitra makes it off the ship alive.

"I," on the other hand," Aquila continued ignoring Dimitra's antics, "am very adept with cleanliness. I bathe three times a day, before every meal. I feel it keeps the body energized for the day at head." Aquila chimed with a smile.

"Oh…Pardon my asking but do you keep your ring on during? My husband plans to acquire the finest jewel when we get to America. We decided to wait on rings until we start our new life. Unfortunately, I am not certain if it is safe to bathe with." Hermione asked with politeness.

"Goodness, no!" Aquila began as she held her left hand to her chest in shock. "Bath soap is not good for the metal. It can rust it easily. I would have thought someone with your stature would know these things. Be sure to take it off before freshening up. Wouldn't want to ruin your husbands good money now would you?"

"Don't scare the poor girl now Aquila! Leave her be." Margaret pleaded sternly.

"No Ma'am. I have never worn a ring before; I do apologize if I have insulted you in any way." Hermione stated as he lowered her head some.

"Not at all. I just assumed, since you are married to a man with money, that you have also come from money. You should already know all about fine jewelry. A First class woman should always have knowledge about these things. Also why is it that you do not have a handmaiden to help you run a bath?"

"Are you going to interrogate the poor child all afternoon?" Margaret interrupted. She turned to Hermione after giving Aquila a disgusted look. "You don't have to answer that dear."

"No, it's okay Molly. I…I do come from money, just not as much as Draco's family. Jewelry was never my strong suit. I do appreciate your advice however. Thank you. And as for not having any staff…that's a long story for another day." she lied.

"Interesting…"Aquila claimed with a raised brow.

"Anyways…I think I'll go take that nap now. Thank you ladies for tea, I will see you later." She quickly stated before Mrs. Malfoy could question her more on to her lies.

With that Hermione set her tea down and stood up. She rushed as fast as she could without anyone suspecting, back to her room. She swung open the door nearly scaring Draco half to death.

"What the…Shit Granger! What are you trying to do, give me a heart attack?" Draco announced while holding his chest. He walked away from the window he was looking out of and set his glass of brandy on the coffee table.

"I have an idea on how to get the second stone!" She replied closing the door and ignoring his dramatics. "I don't know why I didn't think of it before it's so simple!"

"What is? What are you looking for?" he asked noticing that she was searching for something.

"Where is your suit jacket that you wore when we boarded?" she asked as she moved to the bedroom.

"Random." She heard him grunt under his breath, as he leaned against the door frame. "It's hanging in the armoire. Why? What do you need with my jacket?"

"These!" she responded holding up the two passports she dug out of the jacket pocket.

"O-kay…I'm confused. First off I don't even know what those are or how you got them and second, how do they, have anything to do with helping us get the second stone?" He asked with a raise brow.

"Okay so you know how I used the duplication spell on Dimitra necklace?"

"Yes… but how are you going to get Aquila to take off her ring? She won't be as forthcoming as Dimitra. She is a very modest woman Mione. She won't just hand over her jewelry." He stated in an obvious tone as he leaned off the frame.

"Well I just found out some very interesting news." She replied with a wide smile and walked past him to back into the sitting room. "Wait- Did you just call me Mione?" she stopped to question him curiously.

"Maybe I did…Maybe I didn't. I'm not telling you." he said slyly as he walked over to her and slid his hands around her waist.

"Well, don't…it's not normal."

"Nothing about any of this," he began as he waved a hand in the air, circling the room. "is normal little cub. Now, tell me about this news you found out." He finished as he started pecking at her neck.

"Draco stop. Now is not the time for that. This is serious!"

He pulled away from her in a huff and went to sit on love seat. He rested an arm across the back before looking up at her. Hermione took the arm chair next to him and began retelling him what happened at tea.

"So, you want to sneak into her stateroom while she is bathing and steal her ring? Didn't you say a few days ago that we couldn't do that back at the castle? How are we supposed to get away with doing it now?" he asked.

"We didn't know then, if she took off her ring or not, and we were just caught being in the place. We couldn't afford to get caught again. Anyway, that's where these come in." she held up the two passports. "We can try to duplicate the ring but we need to get in an out and seeing as the spell requires someone to say the incantation, it is most likely she will hear us in such a quiet room. When I used the spell on the necklace, the room was crowded and loud, so it was easy to get away with it. Also your entrance was enough of a distraction to help me pull it off."

"Glad I could be of service, but how do two small books help us?"

"These books are passports Draco. They are used by muggles as proof of travel and citizenship. But that's not the point. The point is, I knew we needed them to get on the ship and since we both are not from this time, I had to create them…These," She set the passports on the coffee table and brought out her wand. She flicked her wrist as she said an incantation. The two passports warped for a second before turning into two clear whiskey glasses.

"Wait a minute…" he held up a hand to stop her. "You transfigured a whiskey glass into a passport with our information on them? Bloody genius woman! When the hell did you learn that? That was not taught by McGonagall!"

She let out a small laugh and smirked at Draco.

"You're good at that you know? You could almost pass for a Malfoy." He smirked in return as he leaned back into his seat. "So you want to transfigure one of these glasses to look like a ring?"

"Yes. I want to combine the duplication spell with a transfiguration spell to make an exact replica of her ring. It's going to take some time to figure out but I know I can do it…That's…where you come in." she explained hesitantly.

"Me?" he questioned surprisingly.

"Yes, you, I need to make a list of all the transfiguration spells I know to try and make this work. I need you, to use your charm on Mrs. Malfoy. I need you to get as close as you can to her and get a good look at her ring. Kiss her hand or something. Suck up to her. We both know that is one of your many talents."

"Keep stroking my ego Granger and I'll stroke something of yours in return." He flirted with a devilish smile.

Hermione's cheeks flushed at the thought of Draco doing something dirty to her. She felt a tingle below her waist but quickly tucked her legs together and tried to ignore his sexual innuendo.

"We don't have a lot of time Malfoy. I need you-"

"I know you need me little one. I would be happy to satisfy your every need." He winked.

"You are impossible! If I promise to have sex with you later will get your mind out of the gutter and use your skills to suck up to your Great-Grand Aunt?" she tried to compromise, fed up with his indecent flirting.

In truth, she really wanted to have sex with him now, but they needed to get the second stone and she had a lot of writing to do.

"I know what a gutter is, how my mind can be stuck in one is beyond me… but fine, I'll do it at lunch," He stated standing up from the seat. "And YOU will be my dessert tonight. None of that shitty stuff they pretend to call pudding."

She let a smile cross her face as she looked down at her hands in embarrassment. She had never had a man want her so badly. It made her feel good but she didn't know how to react to the things he was saying to her. She saw his shadow leer over her as he stood before her. She lifted her head slowly; careful not to look too long, at the bulge sticking out at her face, begging for her to touch it; and looked up at his face. He bent down and left a small kiss upon forehead before walking away from her to the bathroom.

Sitting in the chair for a few minutes, Hermione played out what just happened in her head, over and over again. She couldn't break away from it. She knew she needed to start writing spells down, but the distraction was enough to keep her from working; which anyone would say is an impossible task. He was getting to her and it was keeping her from doing one of the things she loved most.

She heard the shower turn on and she thought more on how to keep her mind off Draco's words. Standing up she grabbed some paper from a drawer and transfigured one of the whiskey glasses into a pen. She sat down on the love seat and started writing down every spell she could remember. After about three, she gave up due to her mind wondering to the naked blonde in the shower.

' _Maybe she should just do something about it. It will help her ease her mind. Then she could focus on working on the plan.'_

With that thought she set her pen down and laid herself back on the loveseat. She was sure Draco had already released himself in the shower so she decided it was only fair she could do the same. Lifting her yellow dress up to her hips, she closed her eyes and let her head hit the pillow behind her.

She imagined Draco masturbating in the shower; the water trickling down his lean, pale body, as he stroked himself to the image of her. She imagined his head tilting back in pleasure as he moaned out her name over and over. With the image firmly in her brain, Hermione let her hand slide under her panties and onto her throbbing clit. She let out a soft moan as she fondled herself with small circles. Slipping her middle finger inside herself, she began to play with her left breast, through her dress. She slipped in a second finger as her head tilted to the side and she let out more moans. She was breathing heavily and played with herself more, while the image of Draco caressing himself played in her mind.

She didn't hear the shower turn off or the bathroom door open. If she had, she would have stopped doing what she was doing and fixed herself before he caught her. But it was too late. She was too focused with her imagination, that she didn't see the blonde Slytherin, wearing only a towel around his waist, watching her from the doorway.

"Oh Draco…like that…uh yes…fuck, keep going…" She moaned out as she thrusted her fingers faster into wet pussy.

She felt something warm and soft lick her ear and her eyes shot open.

"Keep going Hermione." He whispered as he dropped the towel and started to stroke himself in front of her. "I want you to cum for me…Cum for me baby."

"She reached out her left hand to touch his chest while she continued to thrust her other hand in and out. He kissed and nipped at her neck as he rubbed himself, causing her to melt. She grabbed the back of his head and rammed his lips onto hers. Her hips bucked and she cried out her release, into his mouth.

She let her climax ride for a little longer, before removing her hand from herself, and instantly grabbed a hold of his dick. Still kissing him, she pumped him a few times, until he whispered out for her.

"Hermi-I'm gonna cum…"

Thinking of the most erotic thing she could, she pulled away from his face and quickly put his dick in her mouth. She heard him let out a gasp in shock, as she took him all the way in; the tip of his penis made its way down the back of her throat. She gagged a little but ignored it and continued to suck him off. It didn't take long before he grabbed her hair with both his hands.

"Oh…fuck!" he cried out as he released a flow of warm, salty liquid, into the back of her throat.

She stayed where she was for a few long seconds, letting him enjoy his orgasm, while she wiggled her tongue around the base of his shaft. He twitched at the movement before letting her hair go, so she could remove her mouth from him. She looked up at him and swallowed the creamy load. Licking her lips like she had just tasted the sweetest thing, she leaned forward and left a small kiss just below his navel, before resting her head on his stomach.

He held her there for a second while he got his breathing under control. He then quickly bent down and kissed her hard, inhaling a deep breath, while pushing her against the back of the love seat. His right hand wrapped around her throat lightly as his left hand grabbed her breast and squeezed all while he deepened the kiss. She reached her hands around his neck and pulled him closer to her. Before she knew it, he broke the kiss and rested his forehead on hers.

"That…" He panted with a grin. "Was the hottest thing…I have ever seen…in my entire life."

She smiled widely with pride and pecked him on the lips. Still breathing a little heavy, he stood up and ran his fingers through his hair.

"Salazar woman, you are going to be the death of me!" he exclaimed with a grin. "I'm going to get dressed for lunch now. Do NOT do that again unless I am in the room. You hear me? You will never do that without me!"

"So demanding! Yes sir!" she giggled sarcastically as she saluted.

"Hm…I like the sound of that." he claimed as he walked towards the bedroom. He stopped in the door way and leaned an arm up against the frame. "Role-playing is now definitely on the list of things we are going to do before this ship sinks. You, my little lioness, are in for a special treat."

He flicked both eyebrows at her before turning his naked body on his heels and closed the door, leaving a blushing, breathless Hermione, sitting disheveled on the love seat.


	18. Chapter 18- To Deceive a Malfoy

Chapter 18- To Deceive a Malfoy

Friday, April 12th, 1912 07:45pm

After dinner was finished Draco stood up from the table he sat at with Dimitra and Robert, and excused himself for a moment. He had told Hermione earlier in the day that he would memorize the detail of Aquila Malfoys ring. After his love had recounted the conversation she had had during tea, with Aquila, he had come up with a full proof plan. He did not have a chance all day to speak with his ancestor, so he waited patiently, until dinner was almost over. As the men took their leave to have a drink and talk business in the Smoking Lounge, it gave him the perfect opportunity to corner Lady Malfoy and use his master skills as a charmer to get a good look at the piece of jewelry.

He wanted to keep thinking though, about the glorious moment he caught Hermione masturbating in front of him that afternoon, but he didn't have time. He had to get in and get out before Aquila caught on to his little charade. He would, however, replay that memory later with Hermione. After all he did say she would be his dessert. And he wasn't lying. He was going to devour her, until she lost her voice from screaming his name.

Making his way over to the table Mrs. Malfoy sat at, he suddenly became nervous. She was surrounded by high class women, gossiping away about useless things. He had to come up with another plan to get close to her without the women being suspicious of his actions. Thinking he finally found a good way; Draco took a breath and interrupted the conversation.

"Excuse me ladies, I apologize for my very rude interruption, but I was wondering if I may speak to Mrs. Malfoy for a moment? I promise to return her as I found her." he grinned.

It seemed to have worked since the women all swooned over him and stood up. He subtly winked at a few as they passed by him, to give off the impression of interest, as he bowed his head in thanks. Most of the women knew he was 'married' but Draco knew that most females loved, if not craved, the attention of an attractive man. The flirting just added to his charm.

He turned back to the table and produced a wide, fake, smile at Aquila.

"What is it that you need to speak with me about Mr. Lovegood? You have interrupted a very important conversation." She asked with a stern look.

"Forgive me Mrs. Malfoy, I did not mean to interrupt your gathering. I have been trying to talk with you all day and this was the only time to do so. I wanted to acquire your opinion. Hermione has mentioned to me that you are somewhat of an expert in jewelry." He claimed politely.

"She is indeed correct." She perked up "Please, have a seat. How may I be of assistance you?"

Draco took the empty seat next to Aquila. He rested his arms on his legs and looked up at her.

"Well," he began "as you may know my wife and I do not have wedding rings."

"I took notice. Your wife has no knowledge of the things she should. A proper lady should know how to care for her jewelry. It is a shame. It makes me wonder if she really even comes from money. She sure does not portray it very well. I have also taken notice that you do not have a handmaiden either. Why is that? Your wife seemed a bit, off, when asked. I found it rather ill-mannered." she asked skeptically.

"I did not feel comfortable taking my parent's staff from them since they have been with them for so long. My wife also felt the same about her parent's staff. So we will hire new ones in America. As for the rings, we got married quickly, but that is a long tale for another time." he explained not really knowing another lie he could use to add to the faux story.

He saw her open her mouth to protest. He knew what she was going to ask, so thinking quickly he held up a hand to stop her.

"And before you ask, our parents approved and were present at the ceremony. I know you are a very traditional woman Mrs. Malfoy, my parents are as well. Just know that there was no scandal involved. My wife was not pregnant nor was she betrothed to another, and quite frankly, it is none of your business. I do not mean to be rude to a person of your stature; however I do not take kindly to being questioned the manner you are doing so now, nor do I take kindly to you insulting my wife. She is of pure blood and we do not need nor have asked for your permission."

She looked at him in utter disbelief that he had the nerve to speak to her that way. But, he was a Slytherin and he knew the inner workings of them. He also knew how Malfoy's acted; being one himself, there was no way he was going to let a late ancestor walk all over him like she was better than him.

' _He fought in a war and watched one of the most evil beings, kill and torture people in his own home. He can most definitely manage Aquila Malfoy.'_

"Now-" he began again.

"Did you say pureblood?" she asked cutting him. "You are a wizard then Mr. Lovegood?"

"I…" _'Shit.'_

"It is quite alright Draco. I have assumed as much. You have merely confirmed my suspicions. However, knowing what I do now makes the questions you have answered, well …even more suspicious. I would like to make a deal with you Mr. Lovegood. One I do not think you will refuse." She held her head up high as she made her suggestion.

"And what if I say no to this deal of yours?" he replied leaning back in his chair and crossed his arms.

"I highly doubt you will say no, once I have told you what it is. Perhaps, we should bring your lovely wife into the mix. This is something, I feel, she will need to partake in as well."

She looked around Draco, at Hermione, who was laughing cheerfully as she talked to Dimitra and Robert, with the famous Malfoy smirk on her face. Aquila looked back at Draco before standing up and rested a hand on his shoulder. She bowed slightly and whispered in his ear.

"I shall meet you in front your stateroom in twenty minutes. Do not be late. The proposition I hold shall not be heard by prying ears. I know your wife is not of pure blood. That is, if she is even your wife. I am a very powerful witch and I have a very keen eye Draco. I can spot a lie, miles away."

With that being said she walked off and left Draco speechless in the chair.

' _What…the fuck …just happened? What deal could she possibly want to make? This makes no sense. He would have to tread carefully. This Malfoy seemed much more manipulative and devious then anyone in his family. Well maybe not Bellatrix, she was just a few pages short of a book; which was one of the reasons she was so dangerous. He had to give Aquila credit though, she could definitely give his mother a run for her money.'_

Draco stood up and walked over to Hermione who was laughing at a joke Robert said. He grabbed her upper arm and kissed her on the cheek before whispering to her.

"We need to go back to the room, now. Something important came up; it's urgent."

She looked confused but nodded her head and said her farewell's to the couple, before taking Draco's hand and following him out of the Dinning Saloon.

Hermione stopped in front of the Grand Staircase and released her hand from Draco's death grip.

"Draco, what is it? I was having a good time in there. Did you get a good look at the ring? What did you say to Aquila?" she asked almost excitingly.

He looked around the room to make sure no one was listening before taking a step forward, invading her personal space, and leaned into her ear.

"Be careful around Aquila Hermione." He warned.

"What? I don't understand? What happened?" She asked pulling back from him slightly.

"She…she insulted you. I accidentally let slip that you were pure blooded and now she wants to meet us at our room to strike a deal of some sorts. She had her suspicions of us being magical but now she wants her questions answered in exchange for something. I don't know what. We are meeting her now. Just be careful what you say, okay? She is not only a Malfoy but she is also a Slytherin and she knows you are not pureblood…and possibly not my wife. " he explained nervously.

The scared and shocked look on Hermione's face was one Draco had been dreading. She just confirmed his fears about the situation.

' _If she was terrified, then the predicament they found themselves in must be bad…fuck!'_

He grabbed her wrist and led her to the lift. He told the bellman B-deck and they waited in silence as the lift began to rise. Once they were on the correct floor, Draco nodded his head in thanks to the man, and lead Hermione down the corridor. He stopped just before turning the corner to their room, took a deep breath, and checked to make sure his wand was in reach in case he needed it.

Once his nerves were settled, he turned the corner and saw Aquila standing outside the room waiting patiently with her hands folded in front of her.

"Well…Are you going to let me in then?" she questioned.

Draco rolled his eyes and opened the door, careful not to let Aquila near Hermione. Mrs. Malfoy walked in the room and looked around a moment before taking a seat in the armchair to the left, near the bedroom door. The couple followed suit and sat further away from her; Hermione sitting in the other armchair and Draco on the loveseat. They sat in silence for a few minutes before Aquila cleared her throat, pulled out her wand, and placed a silencing spell on the door.

"I will get straight to the point. You cannot deceive me; I have been watching you for a while now. My suspicions that you both are of magical blood begun when I saw Hermione here, somehow held a duplicate of Ms. Black's necklace at lunch the other day. I saw it when she bent down to retrieve the napkin she purposely dropped. You both being magical was confirmed earlier by you Draco, which made me think about a few things. You were both caught by my handmaiden a few days ago in The Castle; she recounted the story to me when you left, but she is naive. I however, am not. I became suspicious of you the moment she told me your story. You then somehow acquired sold out First Class tickets, last minute, and boarded the ship with no staff. I watched as you both stood on the upper deck for a long while, with emptiness in your eyes before you, Draco, hugged your wife in comfort. Knowing what I know now, I have come to the conclusion that you were searching her mind for something."

The pair looked in shock at the woman as she called them out.

"I invited you both to dinner to see if I could study you more. I am going assume that since you were both in England, that you went to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, did you not? I will not lie; Hermione dear, you are exceptionally gifted in logic, but you are not of pureblood. You were brave to be able to accept my invitation to dinner, knowing that I am a high ranked pure blooded witch. I first guessed you were placed in Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff, do to your kind nature and intelligence, but studying you further at dinner, I recant my opinion. You also have the inner workings of a Slytherin and are very good at manipulating a situation to your benefit. One would say all houses suit you very well, however, I believe you were placed in Gryffindor."

Hermione nodded her head in shock but continued to listen.

"And Draco, you are one tough nut to crack I will admit. There is something about you that I could not quite figure out until you introduced yourself as a Lovegood. You look exactly like Cygnus's younger brother. You may have the blonde hair of a Lovegood, but not the offset or looks of one; you have poise and class. Also not only did you praise my husband, but you praised the Malfoy name like you knew it well. I wanted to test you more when you interrupted my conversation this evening at dinner. I saw you hesitate before coming over to the table, which leads me to believe you have a sense of self- preservation. Once you sat down, I wanted to see more of what you were made of, so I insulted Hermione to get your reaction. I do apologize for my callousness, but I was not disappointed in my findings. The way you defended her and stood by your story leads me to believe you are cunning and loyal. You also did not come over to just ask me about jewelry. You had a plan in mind to achieve some sort of information from me, which makes you devious. You were sorted into Slytherin, were you not?"

Draco nodded his head in amazement.

"I see, now on to the more important matter. I know you are not a Lovegood Draco. I know the Lovegood family well. I may not associate with them due to their ranking in the social circle, but I like to know of all purebloods that live in London. No Lovegood has ever been sorted into Slytherin house. You also have a constellation name and you are very well-mannered, but you have fire in your blood and a temper. You were not afraid to stand up to me and you were quick-witted with your answers. You both are not married. I know, because you not only have no rings and were sketchy with your answers, but you, my dear Draco, are a Malfoy."

Both mouths of the couple dropped as they were struck absolutely speechless.

' _Aquila Malfoy had not only studied them without their knowledge, but she knows that he is a Malfoy!'_

"H..How…What you do you want from us?" Hermione stuttered.

"You have just proven me correct. Malfoy's do not marry anyone less than pureblood and seeing as you are not, Hermione, there is no way he could marry you, but…he does love you. However the main reason I wanted to speak with both of you, is for one simple reason. I have a feeling I know why you are on this ship. I can help you, but in return, I want some information from you."

"What kind of information do you want?" Draco asked. "You seem to already know everything about us what more could we possibly tell you?"

"That, is where you are wrong. I do not want more information about you, I want the information that you have discovered last night at dinner."

"I'm sorry what?" Hermione chimed in with surprise.

"Please do not play coy with me Hermione. I saw your expression when Mr. Ismay spoke his last comment before you faked being sick, and left the table. You know something and his statement reminded you of it. I want to know what it is."

"And what exactly do we get in return for giving you any information?" Draco asked firmly as he leaned forward to rest his arms on his legs.

"My help, of course."

"Your hel- what precisely can you help us with Aquila?" he demanded with a hint of anger.

"Why, getting you home dear…to your own time."

X

Friday, April 12th, 1912 08:40pm

' _She knows! Oh god she knows! They were so careful, she didn't understand how one person could know everything about them, but she does. How is it that she does? There is no way either her or Draco, let slip about them being stuck in the past. And she is offering her help. Should she tell her what they know? It could potentially cause Draco to not be born. But she did say that he was identical to Cygnus's younger brother. It is possible Draco was born from that part of the family tree and not Cygnus. And even if she did tell her what she knows, it's not guaranteed that she will survive the sinking. She had to think hard about this decision. It literally was a life or death situation.'_

Gaining her composer Hermione looked at Draco and nodded her head slightly before speaking to Aquila.

"How is it that you know we are not from this time?" she asked skeptically.

"Other than your outfits and the way you hold yourselves; I did a bit of digging. You two are not the only people I invited to dinner to observe. After the necklace incident, I wanted to know more about how and why you had a duplicate of Ms. Black's necklace. I invited Dimitra to dinner for the shear purpose of seeing her necklace up close. Once I got a good look, I instantly knew what you are searching for. The stone placed in her pendant is a _Tunc Lapis_ ; A Time Stone. I knew it was only a matter of time before you came to me, seeing as I have its twin placed in my ring."

"So you know about the stones. How?" Hermione asked now intrigued.

"Cygnus's grandmother had told me a story once about how her and her husband had accidentally touched the stones together, before they were married, sending them into the 1400's. They had suffered through the black plague before finding the stones and returning home. However the present they were accustom to, had not moved forward. Only they knew of the adventures they encountered. They had kept it a secret from their friends and family; only telling those who receive the stones as a gift, what they really are. The rest only knew them as good luck charms. However, the stones do not just throw you into the past at random; you were sent to this time for a specific reason." Aquila explained.

"So this is a test? What happened to his grandfather's stone? Was he a Black? Is that how it ended up in Grimmauld Place?" she asked like she was going to have an exam on the subject.

"Of course it's a test! Bloody hell!" Draco exclaimed as he ran his fingers through his hair in frustration.

"12 Grimmauld Place belongs to the House of Black. But you would not be asking those questions if you knew his grandfather was not a Black. I am to assume that a Malfoy married a Black sometime in the future?"

Hermione thought about it but she didn't really know Draco's family tree all that well. She knew his mother was a Black and married his father, but not any further back than that. She looked to Draco and he seemed to have made the connection.

"My mother is the only Black to marry into the Malfoy name. My mother put the stone in Potter's house! She knew what the stones were and she still let my father give me one of them!" he yelled in anger as he stood up.

He moved to the other side of the coffee table and started pacing.

"She knew!" he yelled again.

"Draco calm down. She may have known, but she didn't know I had the other stone. Harry found it behind that awful portrait of Walburga Black and there were so many protection charms placed up, it would have been impossible for her to enter the house. She must have given it to Sirius to hide. If she knew the stones capability, she would not want it to be anywhere near the other one. That portrait was nearly impossible to move and even Sirius said he couldn't remove it. He must have lied. It was protecting the other stone!" Hermione stated. She was a little shocked at the realization of what she just said.

' _She stuck up for Narcissa Malfoy. Things really have changed.'_

"Pardon my interruption of your fascinating tale, but you mentioned an awful portrait. Whatever do you mean?" Aquila asked in confusion.

"It's a portrait that hangs in 12 Grimmauld. The person it holds is a vile woman who hates blood-traders and muggle-borns. She would always shout insults and yell foul names to anyone who passed by her that she deemed, unfit, to walk the halls in the House of Black." Hermione explained crossing her arms and leaning back in her chair.

"And you have been a victim to these insults?"

"N…yes." She cautiously replied, realizing there was no point in lying anymore.

"So, I know you are not a blood-trader…that makes you… are you muggle-born Hermione?" Aquila asked in shock as she looked back and forth between Draco and Hermione. "Y…you love a muggle-born Draco?"

Draco looked at Aquila with a sadden expression as he uncrossed his arms and placed them in his pockets.

"I do. But I do not need a lecture on how I am tainting the Malfoy name! I rid myself of those prejudices during the war!" he claimed as he raised his voice.

"Draco…I was never one to have that kind of hate. My husband on the other hand is a different story but I would never! It was simple shock to hear is all; in this era, it is very rare for a pureblood to be with a muggle-born. It makes perfect sense now why you, Hermione, were so surprisingly shocked when I complimented you…wait…you were in a war?"

'We are saying too much, we can't tell you everything Aquila, please understand." Hermione pleaded.

"I understand; Chaos Theory is a real thing especially in the wizarding world. You have most likely already changed history being on this ship. However, as much as your lives are peaking at my interest, it is getting late and we have yet to strike a deal. My ring for the information you discovered last night."

"If we tell you, we are risking a lot." Draco stated.

"You have my word that I will not tell a soul." She replied.

"Your word isn't good enough. I'm sorry but it's not. Being a Malfoy myself, I know how devious you can be." Draco claimed as he leaned up against the wall.

"And what pray tell, would you have me do? Make the unbreakable vow?" Aquila huffed as if joking.

"Actually…yes." He replied in a serious manner, crossing his arms again.

Aquila seemed shocked by the request. Hermione was too. She knew that an unbreakable vow could lead to death if broken. Snape had made one with Narcissa, to protect Draco, before Dumbledore's death. It was risky and dangerous magic, but she had to agree with him. The information Aquila wanted was far too valuable and could not get out to anyone.

"Then what you know must be serious. Very well, I will make the unbreakable vow with you." Aquila replied after a few moments of thinking it over. "Hermione dear, we will need your wand."

Hermione stood up cautiously and removed her wand from her handbag, which was resting on the coffee table. She watched as Draco walked over to Aquila, crouched in front of her, and grasped her wrist. Taking a deep breath in and letting it out slowly, she made her way over to the pair and pointed her wand at their hands before beginning.

"Will you, Aquila Malfoy, promise to keep secret, any and all information you have discovered about Draco and myself, forever."

"I will."

A thin red flame burst from Hermione's wand and wrapped itself around the duo's hands.

"And will you, to the best of your ability, not repeat to anyone, the information we are about to tell you, forever?"

"I will."

A second red flame burst through the wand and once again, wrapped around the duo's hands.

Hermione pocketed her wand and looked at the pair. They released their hold on each other but didn't move from their resting places. Aquila looked at Hermione as she folded her hands neatly in her lap and waited for the information. Hermione took another deep breath, looked at Draco for reassurance, before opening her mouth to speak.

"Titanic, will not make it to America." She began.

"What do you mean?" Aquila questioned in confusion.

Hermione sat down on the love seat next Aquila's chair and prepared herself for what she was about to say next.

"The ship is going to hit an iceberg…She is going to sink and she is going to take over a fifteen hundred people with her."


	19. Chapter 19- Let the Past Guide You

**PART 2 OF THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS MATURE CONTENT. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK.**

Chapter 19- Let the Past Guide You

Friday, April 12th, 1912 08:50pm

Aquila looked at Hermione with fear in her eyes as she clasped her mouth with her hand. Draco knew the questions that bounced around her brain. He had had the same questions run through his mind when he found out.

"You are certain? When?" Aquila asked in horror.

"Positive." He replied rather calmly. "Hermione read about it in our fourth year, but because of the…well things, going on at the time, brushed it off to help one of her best friends. She only just remembered when Mr. Ismay mentioned the word iceberg. But she doesn't remember when it will happen."

"But…Titanic will sink…and…and over half the people on board are going to…to die? It doesn't make any sense, I am no master Legilimen, but why were you searching her mind then when the ship set sail, if you only just remembered yesterday?" Aquila asked.

"I was trying to explain to Draco about how the ship was able to move and float. But it wasn't going very well, so I had him search my mind for the book I read the day before, that held information on steam ships. And before you ask, it would take too long for him to search my mind for the date on the impending disaster." Hermione explained.

"So why did you look upset, causing him to hug you in such a loving manner? I am sure reading about steam ships would hardly upset you."

"I…I had had a nightmare before boarding.' Hermione claimed as she lowered her head in sadness. "I was drowning but I could breathe and when I reached the surface I saw hundreds of people screaming and trying to stay afloat. When Draco pulled out of my mind, it popped up and he saw bits of it. But it was just a nigh-"

"A warning…" Aquila interrupted. "The same thing happened to Cygnus's grandmother!"

"You're saying that people get warnings, of an impending disaster, depending on the time period they were thrown into?" Draco joined in.

"Yes. It seems that the stones were trying to warn you and that a disaster of some sort is a part of a… trial…If you don't mind me asking, I would like to compare somethings."

Draco waved his hand for her to ask away as he sat down on the edge of the coffee table.

"You, Hermione, are a Gryffindor muggle-born and Draco, you are a pureblood Slytherin. Complete opposites in every way. I am going out on a limb here, but you mentioned earlier that you were in a war. Did it have anything to do with blood status?"

The couple both nodded their heads yes, careful not to divulge too much detail.

"And you were both on opposite sides of the war, were you not?"

They nodded again.

"I presume you both hated each other for a long time, before the war started?"

They nodded their heads yes again and Draco looked at Hermione in astonishment.

 _'Aquila wasn't proficient in Legilimency but she had of way of figuring things out. It was intimidating and a little overwhelming, but interesting. She could read people in ways he never knew a person could. She wasn't a seerer, that was certain, but appeared to be an expert at observation. Woman was bloody terrifying.'_

"I think I figured it out! Your trial!" Aquila chimed excitingly. "If I am correct, which comparing the information to the story I was told then…you both are soulmates."

Draco nearly fell off the coffee table in shock, but he recovered quickly and stood up.

"I-What?" He asked perplexed.

"Yes, I don't see how being thrown over a century back in time makes us soulmates." Hermione claimed with just as much shock as Draco.

"Don't you see!" Aquila expressed as she stood up from her seat and began to gracefully pace. "When exactly did you start to become civil with each other? I have a feeling it was the first night! And what exactly led you to be thrown into 1912? I have a hunch that it was not by accident, but the fact that you both had received a stone, were placed in the same location at the same time, and something had made two people who hate each other touch in some way, is not a coincidence. Just like my husband's grandparents who also hated each other before being thrown into the past, the stones knew of your destiny and decided to give you both a little push in the right direction! "

"No pun intended." Draco rolled his eyes.

Aquila stopped her pacing and raised a brow at him in ignorance. He realized she didn't know of the circumstance that brought them to 19120 in the first place.

"A friend, well not really a friend anymore, started a fight with Hermione at my family's annual charity ball. She literally pushed her into me, making the stones collide with each other." He explained.

"Ah, so metaphorically and literally, the stones pushed you together. You are destined to be together. A disaster is just a way to help the process along. But…be warned, it will be a true trial; one that will break you and shape you as a person and as a couple. It will test you in every way possible. If you can survive this trial together, then you can survive whatever hardship your present holds for you." Aquila clarified.

"You're serious? You actually think that we are soulmates! This is absurd!" Hermione exclaimed as she too stood up and walked around the back of the love seat. "The stones don't have a conscious; they can't just know we are meant to be together!"

"Actually, they can; and they have. Just look at how you ended up here Hermione. That many coincidences are impossible. You were set up to fall in love with each other. One of you," She looked at Draco. "has already completed a part of the trial."

"Then why didn't any of this come up in the literature I read about the stones? None of the books mentioned anything about any of this!" Hermione retorted somewhat panicked.

"You are the brightest witch of our age Hermione." Draco announced. "It makes sense that none of this would be in the books you read. Aquila said it herself, that Cygnus's grandmother only told those who receive the stone her story. Everyone else thought the stones to be luck. The books were most likely written by people who held no knowledge of the stones true purposes. My father even claimed that the one he gave me was for luck and didn't know anything else about it, other than that it has been pasted down as an heirloom of sorts. I am sure he was never the actual keeper of the stone either, my mother was. The facts are all laid out in front of us. No matter how you look at it though, we have to survive this…together."

"You have to let the past guide you or you will never make it back home." Aquila cut in.

"This is real? We are really soulmates? But I don't even love him yet." Hermione replied in protest.

"Ouch." He claimed a little too drastically.

"Oh stop being such a drama king Malfoy! You're engaged to be married remember! How am I, supposed to love someone who is about to marry another?"

"You just keep bringing that up! I would like to forget that part of my life Granger! I have been dreading it since the day it was announced to me! I'm not pleased with the circumstances either, okay. I get that you don't love me but you don't have to be such a bitch about it!"

"DRACO!" Aquila gasped in shock. "How dare you use that language in front of me, and in such a manner? You apologize to her right this instant!"

Aquila stared him down with cold eyes. She reminded him of his mother when she was mad and it made him feel small. Malfoy women were always a bit terrifying when angered; Aquila was no exception. But he was stubborn and Hermione's words had left a bad taste in his mouth. She left him feeling hurt after she blatantly admitted she didn't love him.

"No!" He spoke in determination. "She doesn't even seem to realize or even care for that matter, the hateful tone she used. I have basically lowered my walls and opened myself up for her and for what? So she could just walk all over me and take advantage of my weakness? I told her I loved her damn it! Arranged Marriage or not, that is not easy for someone like me to admit and she knows that; but there she goes bringing up something I can't change and arrogantly tells me she doesn't love me back! You have to be out of your mind to think I will apologize to her!" he stated in anger.

"You have made a fair point Draco, but your language is unnecessary! As family I support your decision, however, you must control your temper. Hermione is in a state of shock right now; we all are. You have no right to disrespect her in such a way. We are all scared and a lot of information has been divulged in such a short amount of time. She simply needs time to process everything…Now,I will allow you both some time to work your situation out, without my presence. It is very late and I must think things over myself before bed." She turned to Hermione and softened her expression. "Ms. Granger is it? My dear, you seem very adept in the duplication spell. If you could be so kind as to create a replica of my ring; I do not wish my husband to question me on its whereabouts, and I would like to see just how powerful a witch you truly are."

Draco watched as Hermione nodded her head with a sadden expression and took the ring from Aquila's outstretched hand. She set the ring on the table and pulled out her wand.

"Gemino." She recited softly as she flicked her wand at the object, creating a perfect replica. She handed Aquila the copied ring, wrapped the original in a hand towel so it would not touch the necklace, and placed it in her handbag.

"You are a very skilled Ms. Granger, most impressive. That spell is no easy feat and you have done it perfectly. You are certainly worthy of the title 'Brightest Witch of her Age'; a true Gryffindor if I do say so myself. Now, I shall take my leave. I bid you both a good night, and will hopefully see you tomorrow."

Aquila bowed her head slightly and walked over to the door. Draco followed her to walk her out and once she had left, turned to face Hermione. But she was gone. He walked to the en-suite but she was not inside, so he made his way to the bedroom. He was about to open the door when he heard faint sobs coming from the other side.

He slowly entered the room and saw Hermione sitting on the edge of the high top bed, lightly crying. He didn't hesitate as he walked over to her and crouched in front of her.

"Granger? I'm sorry for what I said. I didn't mean to upset you. I was just angry. Please don't cry." He stated as he gently lifted her head and wiped a salty tear from her cheek.

"It's not you. You had every right to say what you did. I panicked and was only thinking of myself when I made my statement. I am sorry for not taking your feelings into account." She admitted in defeat.

"So why are you crying then, little cub?" he asked caringly as he cupped her face in his hand.

"Because…Because so much was just thrown at us; it's all so overwhelming. Also…it's the first time in my life as a witch that a Malfoy, other than you, has been kind to me. She accepted me and didn't judge or insult me due to my dirty blood."

"You're blood is not dirty Hermione. I don't ever want to hear you say that again. Do you understand me? Never." He demanded.

"What if she doesn't make it Draco? What if Dimitra doesn't? I like them both so much, I couldn't bear to know that they die. And we can't help them in any way. It's not fair." She cupped her face in her hands as she rested her elbows on her thighs.

Draco stood up and hugged her to hide his disappointment in himself. He didn't know how to answer her questions. He wanted to tell her everything was going to be okay. But that would be a lie. He knew he couldn't. Nothing, was going to be okay.

X

Saturday, April 13th, 1912 05:42pm

"Merlin's beard, Draco! Do you have to make it so tight? I can hardly breathe in this thing as it is." Hermione protested, holding on to the bed's column as Draco laced her black corset for dinner.

He had volunteered to lace it instead of using magic, for the sheer purpose if it being a sensual moment. At least that is what he claimed, when he demanded to have her let him do it. He was rather good at the task but seemed to have enjoyed pulling tightly at the ribbon holding the death trap in place, a little too much.

"Sorry, I can't help it. You look so fucking hot in black and with your breast perking out the top of this amazing piece of clothing, and your bottom jiggling at each pull; I would take you right now if it meant we wouldn't be late." He stated in an aroused voice.

"You are insufferable…" She retorted as her cheeked flushed red and a tingle ran between her legs.

"You love it." He whispered in her ear seductively.

 _'She liked hearing him talk dirty to her. It was actually making her want to be late to dinner. Maybe Aquila and Dimitra would be okay if they were a little late. After all they needed to make the most of their time before the doomed ship sunk and they were only meeting in the Reception Hall, They were exactly having dinner with everyone, just Robert and Dimitra. They would also get a telltale sign the ship hit the iceberg, before everything was thrown into chaos and water actually started flooding in. Being late would definitely be worth it she would just have to make up a lie to tell them.'_

She decided to mess with Draco a little before letting him actually have sex with her. So she wiggled her ass, on purpose, as he continued to tie the corset. He pulled the ribbon tighter, making Hermione yelp and jump at the pressure but she quickly composed herself and pushed her lower half closer to his groin. Feeling how hard he already was through his trousers, she teased him by slightly grinding her ass up and down the front of him.

"What are you doing little one? Do not tease me. We are going to be late and I will have to punish you later if you keep at this." He demanded through gritted teeth, while moving his hands to her sides to hold her hips still.

"Why Sir? I have done nothing wrong. You wouldn't possibly punish a good girl like me would you?" She asked in the most innocent voice she could. She turned her head slightly and bit her bottom lip to tease him more.

He reached his right hand around and grabbed her throat, but not hard enough to choke her, as he pressed his left hand on her stomach, moving her backwards so she was pressed against his chest.

"Call me Sir again little one," he whispered in her ear with authority. "and I will taking you hard on this bed. Do NOT underestimate me. I will make you mine."

She grinned as his breath tickled her neck causing her to bit her lower lip again.

 _'She loved how he felt against her back. He was so warm and he smelled of apples. She definitely wanted to see what he was capable of. He didn't have the title of a Sex God for nothing.'_

"Please Sir." She begged in a whisper.

He quickly moved her over to the side of the bed and pushed her face down on the mattress, letting her feet rest on the floor. He knelt down and grazed his fingers up her black stocking covered legs, tickling her slightly. He lingered over the garter belts connecting the stockings to her panties, as he glided his fingers up her body while he stood up. He rubbed a hand on her ass for a moment before smacking it roughly.

She let out a yelp and jumped at the unexpected action, but didn't move from the position he placed her in.

"So my little lioness, you want to defy me?" He smacked her ass again.

She stayed silent just to see how he would react.

"Not going to answer me, my love?" he asked as he spread her legs and pulled her panties to the side.

He slipped a finger inside her and she let out a moan in pleasure. She felt him bend over her as he slipped in a second finger and whispered in her ear.

"Do you like that love?" he asked and she nodded her head yes. "I'm going to make you scream my name Hermione."

She let out a smile as he kissed her temple and leaned off her, pulling his fingers out from inside her. She tried to look back for him but was blinded when he covered her eyes with a piece of soft fabric she assumed was his tie. She felt him tie the garment in a knot before he slid his fingers down her back slapping her ass a third time before removing his hands completely from her.

Feeling a little nervous because she had never done something like this before and she felt a little exposed, she called out for Draco. But he didn't respond. Instead she felt her panties being moved to the side again and a warm wet tongue pressed into her core. She let out a soft moan and gripped the bed sheets towards her as he continued to lick and flick his tongue on her center for what felt like hours. She felt the pressure build up as her moaning got louder. She was on the edge and reveled in the complexity of his talent.

He pulled back right before she was about to cum and she couldn't help but let out a sad whimper.

"Not yet my love." He claimed as she heard him undo his belt buckle.

He slapped her ass again before penetrating her soft wet opening. She let out a loud moan in bliss as he thrusted into her. She had never felt something so amazing in her life; she didn't want it to end.

"H…h…harder." She managed to say through the moans they were both now making.

"What is the magic word love?" he asked seductively as he kept his steady pace.

"P…please Sir." She begged.

He let out a laugh before pounding into her faster. She was in ecstasy as each pump hit just the right spot, over and over again. He leaned forward, placing his hands on the bed to support himself as he thrusted harder, causing her to scream out his name as she released her orgasm; her juices covering him as it poured onto the floor. He continued to thrust a few more times before spilling into her, releasing his own climax.

He rested his body on top of her to catch his breath. Once they could both breathe again he kissed the center of her back, above the top of her corset, before pulling out of her and removing the garment covering her eyes.

"Damn woman!...You just keep on surprising me!" He stated in excitement as he stared down at her lower half.

Hermione blinked a few times to adjust her eye sight and stood up. She looked at Draco in confusion before following his line of site to the edge of the bed.

"Did you know you could squirt? Merlin that's fucking sexy!" he exclaimed in exhilaration.

"No." she giggled in embarrassment as she looked at the large wet spot on the side of the bed. "That has never happened before. Everything we have done together is all new to me."

"Well it's fucking amazing and I am determined to make you do it again!" he smiled as he leaned in to kiss her.

She accepted the kiss but felt something cold and wet on her lower half. She pulled away laughing when she realized what it was.

"What?" he asked perplexed.

"Draco," She said through her laugh. "Your trousers are all wet."

He looked down at his pants that still had his hard dick sticking out and sure enough there was a large black wet mark on him. He let out a chuckle before tucking himself in and grabbed his wand. He performed a drying and a cleansing spell on both them and the bed, before setting his wand down and placing a hand on Hermione's stomach to cast a contraption spell. He gently kissed the top of her forehead before turning her around to finish lacing her corset.

He wasn't as rough as he was earlier and Hermione suspected it was because he was horny then. He tied the black ribbon in a bow at the bottom of the garment and moved away to grab her sparkling black evening gown off the chair in the corner. He helped her put it on and grabbed her black heels from the bottom of the standing armoire.

"We should probably pack everything up and put it in my hand bag. Just in case. I want to be prepared and we shouldn't leave any evidence that we were here. The crash is going to happen sometime soon, I can feel it. But I know divers in the future are going to find a way down to the ship and search it. We can't risk them finding anything about us. For all they know, the Lovegood's never made it onto the ship." Hermione explained as she fixed her hair in high bun.

"Okay. I'll pack up the bathroom and the sitting room if you can to do the bedroom. Once we are done we can head down to dinner." He replied kissing the top of her forehead and walked out of the room.

Hermione stood in the same spot Draco left her in for a few moments, contemplating their relationship.

 _'They were acting like a real couple. He treated her like a queen; like he really did love her. He wasn't pretending with her. She had never received anything remotely close to love or excitement when she was with Ron. Draco was so different. He liked sex, yes, but he wasn't all about it. He never forced her to do anything she didn't want and he stops as soon as she said no. And he is amazing in bed. Sex with Ron was always so awkward and he never wanted to try anything new, but Draco was up for almost anything. And he had intelligent conversations with her and actually wanted to get to know her. He never protested or whined when it came time to do something she asked or suggested. He's not afraid to joke around with her or fight with her, although he made sure to never push it too far. He messed up once and so far he has never repeated that mistake again…He made her feel safe. She loved Ron but he never made her feel safe like Draco, and after getting to know Draco more, she realized she only loved Ron like a best friend. It was never anything mo-'_

She clasped a hand over her mouth in shock.

"Oh god...I love Draco!" she whispered to herself as she lowered her body to sit on the floor.

XXXXXX

Saturday, April 13th, 1912 07:42pm

She never did tell Draco of her epiphany; instead she kept it to herself. She didn't want to tell him. She knew if she did, than he would have a hard time walking away from her. When they get home, they would need to go back, somewhat, to way they once were. No amount of love could get him out of his marriage contract. She saw no point in making things worse for him.

Hermione sat at the dinner table across from Dimitra and smiled. Earlier she had to explain, very carefully, to Aquila, Dimitra, and Molly why they were late meeting them to talk in the Reception Hall before dinner. It wasn't an easy task. She knew Dimitra would not have cared about the explicated details but Aquila for certain, would have most likely keeled over. She wasn't quite certain about Molly though, so she kept details to a minimum and lied about ripping her dress.

As dinner was finishing up, the men in the room decided to take their leave to the Smoking Room for their daily brandy. Hermione stood up from her seat as Draco cleared his throat and made his way to say his goodbyes to Dimitra and Robert, but they weren't having it.

"Nonsense! I have barely gotten to speak with you this whole journey. Our lovely gals have become good friends and I know much about your wife through my fiancée, but not you. You both always leave right after a meal. It's time we have some fun!" Robert interjected.

"What exactly are we going to do? There isn't must to do on this ship but eat, drink, gossip, repeat." Draco asked skeptically.

"That is where you are wrong my friend. It's time we get to know each other. Man to man. I have a feeling our women are going to remain friends once the ship docks. Better to get to know you now, rather than later." Robert stated as a matter of fact as he brushed his dark brown hair out of his face.

Hermione didn't hear Draco's answer because she was too busy studying Robert.

 _'She had never really given much thought to Robert. She had mainly always talked to Dimitra and had only ever spoken, here and there, to the tall thin man standing before her. Looking at him now she realized how handsome he actually was. His longish brown hair hung in his face giving him a bad boy kind of look, but he didn't really give off the impression that he had money; Although that didn't seem to bother him much. His bright green eyes were kind and complimented Dimitra's bright blue eyes well. His smile was warm and she knew if her parents could meet him, they would instantly fall in love with his straight white perfect teeth. However, he had nothing on Draco, but she was just being bias. It was hard to believe that he is only twenty- five years old. He acts so much older. He did have a point though. Even if he didn't know that they would never see each other again, after they returned to their own time, she and Dimitra were becoming fast friends.'_

Dimitra looked at the couple with mischief written all over her face.

"So…You want to go to a real party?" she asked with a grin.

Hermione raise a brow and looked at Draco. He seemed interested in the idea. After all First Class was kind of a bore with everything being so proper. It was time to let their hair down and have a bit of fun before hell took over.

"Why not?" Hermione replied with excitement. "It's been awhile since I've been to a party…Draco, what about you?"

"Fuck it, let's do it!" he replied a little too loud, causing the other passengers to stare at him in oddity.

Robert and Dimitra looked in shock at Draco's choice of words, but quickly recovered with grins plastered on their faces.

"Well fuck it, let's go!" Dimitra announced with a wide smile. "Oh my!" she clasped a hand over her mouth. "I haven't said a swear word out loud in…well never! That felt good!"

The four let out laughs as they walked out of the Dining Saloon. Making their way to the lift, Dimitra and Robert stopped for a second before walking to a door just behind the elevator.

"Where are we going? We aren't taking the lift?" Hermione asked in confusion.

"We will be questioned if we take the lift. I would rather avoid that situation. The party anyway, is a secret; at least to First Class passengers." Dimitra explained with a wink.

"So, where are we going?" Draco asked with a raised brow. "You're not going to try and murder us are you?" He joked.

The couple let out a laugh as they opened the door and escorted the duo through. Hermione looked around and noticed they were standing in a plain white confined stairwell. Dimitra, Robert and Draco made their way down the first set of stairs as Hermione slowly followed behind reading the signs as she went. After a few long minutes of walking down multiply sets of stairs, they stopped just before an opening that said 'C-Deck' on a sign above it.

"So, again, where are we going? You never actually answered me. Are you sure you're not some evil mastermind bent on trying to kill us? Draco smirked.

"Of course not, Draco!" Robert chuckled. "We, my friends, are going to Third Class!"


	20. Chapter 20- Party Like It's 1912

Chapter 20- Party Like It's 1912

Saturday, April 13th, 1912 08:29pm

Draco followed the couple that was leading them through Third Class. He had never been in this part of the ship yet and realized just how different the accommodations were from First Class. The noise of the engines could be heard throughout and he wondered how exactly anyone slept with the incessant nuisance. There was no décor and the walls where painted bare white. Pipes could be seen in some corridors and he could have sworn he saw a rat pass by him a few seconds ago. Steerage was nothing like what he was used to.

"And you said you didn't mind getting tickets for this part of the ship." He smirked at Hermione. She rolled her eyes at him and she continued to look around the corridor they were walking in.

They passed by an open cabin and Draco couldn't help but take a peek inside. There was a single toilet in the center of the room bolted against the far wall, with what looked to be bunk beds on either side of it. The Third Class passengers on this ship seemed to be treated with less dignity than anyone else on board. They had to sleep in groups, in a small confined area, right next to a toilet and no shower in sight. There was no privacy and nowhere to put ones belongings. He assumed even staff members had better rooms. He felt bad after remembering that Hermione had told him the other day that the majority of the people who will die on the Titanic, were men and people in Steerage. He hated the thought of innocent people dying, but there was nothing he could do about it.

Taking one last look in the room, he saw something that shattered his heart into pieces. A lone, old, rugged teddy bear sat in the corner of one of the upper bunks. He had forgotten children were on board the ship. He had hardly ever seen any running around in First Class and it completely escaped his mind.

 _'Children in Third Class will have less of a chance of surviving the sinking.'_

"How many children survive this disaster Hermione?" Draco whispered so the couple in front of them couldn't hear.

Hermione looked at Draco with despair and he instantly knew her answer was not going to be what he wanted to hear.

"I don't know, most likely not many; especially in this part of the ship."

"What are you guys doing back there?" Dimitra asked.

"Nothing just looking." Draco called out, not taking his eyes off Hermione's.

"Well come on then! Wouldn't want to get lost down here now would you?" Robert chimed in. "We are almost there."

"Why are we in Steerage?" Hermione asked inquisitively as she broke the gaze and started walking again.

"You will see." Robert replied with a grin.

They continued on their trek, rounding corners and nearly bumping in to other passengers as they stared at them. After all, they were dress for First Class and did not look to belong in the slightest. The closer they got to where ever it was they were going, the louder the faint music could be heard. They stopped in front of a door that held a sign above saying 'General Room'. Robert opened the door as Dimitra hopped up and down excitingly. A blast of music Draco didn't recognize poured out of the room and filled the corridor. They walked through the entrance and made their way down one more set of stairs.

Draco could barely hear anything as loud live music blared through the room. There was smoke clouding his sight but he could see about a hundred or more people dancing and mingling, without a care in the world. They looked happy and he decided for the rest of the night, to forget about the doomed ship and have some fun.

"Third Class knows how to party!" Robert shouted above the noise as he watched the people dancing for a moment, before leading the group to an open table. "You guys want a beer?"

Draco nodded his head as he took his jacket off and set it on a chair. He saw Robert squeeze his way through the crowd, past the band, and talk to a guy.

"What kind of music is this?" He asked in a yell to Dimitra.

"Irish! Quite a beat isn't it!" She yelled back.

Robert made his way to the group carrying four large glasses filled with black liquid. A man followed behind him with four smaller glasses and set them on the table before tipping his hat and walked away.

"What is this?" Hermione asked taking one of the larger glasses from Roberts's hand.

"Black Beer!" Not the best but what do you expect in Steerage?" he let out a laugh. "First things first!" He held up a shot glass and the rest follow his lead; picking up their own shot glasses. "BOTTOMS UP!"

They clinked their glasses together and down the shots. As Draco swallowed the light brown liquid quickly and realized it was some kind of whiskey. It burned his throat but he was satisfied. He took a swig of his beer as Robert grabbed Hermione's hand and dragged her to the dance floor. He let out a laugh when he saw her embarrassment, as she tried to figure out the dance. Before he knew it he felt a small hand grab his wrist and drag him through the crowd. He thought it was Dimitra but realized it was small little girl, no older that six, pulling him. He let her lead him to the dance floor before she turned around and started dancing. He let out a chuckle deciding to humor her and started dancing.

Her tiny legs moved off beat to the music but she didn't seem to care. He had to respect the little girl's courage to drag a perfect stranger on to the floor. After about twenty minutes or so of dancing with her, he stopped to catch his breath and made his way back to the table. He loosened his tied and unbuttoned the top four buttons of his shirt to help him cool down some as he looked at the crowd surrounding their table. Two men were arm wrestling and he couldn't help but get excited by the match as he watched. Taking another swig of what, he hoped, was his beer; he saw the rest of his group had already come back to the table. The little girl he danced earlier with, walked up to him again and tugged on the bottom of his shirt. He looked down at her and smiled but at that moment one of the men arm wrestling, crashed their hands into one of the beer glasses on the table, spilling it all over the place. The man let out a yell in triumph as he stood and flexed his muscles.

"So!" Hermione yelled over them and all eyes snapped to her. "You think your big tough men? Let's see you do this!"

She chugged her remaining beer in a few large gulps before setting it down on the table and hiked her dress up to her mid thighs. Slipping her heels off, she kicked them to the side before facing the men and women who had curious looks on their faces. Spreading her legs out to the sides, she slowly eased herself into a full straddle. Touching the floor with the palm of her hands, she put her all her weight on her arms and lifted her lower half into the air. She gradually clasped her legs together as she lifted them up, to move into a handstand. Draco quickly shook off his memorized gaze and grabbed the end of her dress to prevent her from showing everything to everyone. She held her handstand for a few more seconds before lowering the leg, not constricted by her dress, to the ground.

Draco released her dress as she stood up. Everyone in that part of the room stared in awe. Someone started steadily clapping their hands with astonishment at what Hermione just did and the rest soon followed. He stared in disbelief; he didn't know she even had that much strength in her, let alone flexibility. He instantly got a hard on and had to turn away to calm it down. He thought of old people and it seemed to half work, but Hermione in a full straddle kept popping up in his mind. He chugged his beer to help rid the thought and turned back to his group. He watched as the little girl moved from his side and straight up to Hermione.

"Can I's do's that too miss?" She asked with wide eyes while she tugged at Hermione's dress.

She bent down so she was now eye level with the girl and smiled.

"What is your name?" She asked sweetly.

"Cora miss!" the little girl replied in delight.

"Well Cora, my name is Hermione. If you work hard and stay focused I am sure you can do it as well." Hermione claimed with a large smile.

The little girl hopped up and down in joy before hugging Hermione tightly.

"Pardon my interruption ladies." Draco cut in as he walked up to the pair.

He reached out a hand to Hermione. Once she clasped it he pulled her up quickly and kissed her hard. He pulled back to see her surprised face and felt another tug on hem of his shirt. He looked down and saw Cora, who appeared to want to dance with him again. He bent down and smiled big for her.

"I'm going to dance with her now, okay?" he told her.

Cora nodded her head with sadness but she didn't move from the spot she was standing.

"You're still my best girl Cora!" he claimed as he stood up and took Hermione's hand in his.

Cora jumped happily with a wide smile, accepting his statement, and ran up to a woman near their table. She tugged on the woman's dress before pulling her to the dance floor. Draco walked his love to center of the room as the band changed tempo to play a faster song. They followed along to the steps the crowd was preforming before Hermione jumped on to a table downed two shots that were handed to her by complete strangers and pulled Draco up. She hiked her dress up some and started moving her feet in the form of the Irish jig.

He looked at her in wonder before following suit and doing his own version of the dance. Dimitra and Robert jumped up with them and danced along. After a few moments, Hermione let out a laugh as she spun around in a circle and almost fell off the table. He jumped off quickly realizing she was getting drunk and reached out to help her down. She put her hands on his shoulders and he grabbed her hips to lift her off the table. Letting out a giggle she fell into him almost knocking them both down but continued to dance like it never happened. Draco smirked and grabbed a random beer off a table near him and chugged it.

 _'He couldn't believe how much fun he was having. When the word party was mentioned, he didn't think it would be anything like this. It reminded him of when Slytherin house, held an all house party, in the common room in eighth year. McGonagall had allowed students who participated in the war during their seventh year to return and finish their studies. In celebration Slytherin house had invited everyone to a party in their dorm. Granger however, was Head Girl and did not attend. Now that he thought about he actually didn't remember much about that night. He blacked out after Blaise had made him take six shots in a row on a dare. He missed those days. He would vow now though, to throw another party like that one again; this time he would make sure Granger came.'_

The four partied until two-thirty in the morning before deciding to retire to their suites. They laughed, giggled, swayed, and sang songs he didn't know, the whole way back; no longer caring who saw them. Once they got to the corridor that held their rooms, the girls were laughing so hard they collapsed on the floor after losing their balance trying to hold each other up.

"Shhhhhh," Dimitra giggled as she put her finger to her lips, swaying back and forth as she leaned against the wall. "We are going to _'hiccup'_ wake up the prestigious First Class _'hiccup'_ passengers…I think I am going to throw up; _'hiccup'_ …no, no I'm good."

Hermione drunkenly crawled across the floor and very messily put a finger to Dimitra's lips.

"Hold it _'hiccup'_ in." She giggled before laying down flat on her back, unable to hold herself up any longer.

Draco and Robert looked at the girls with raised brows and grins. They were drunk too but could hold their alcohol a lot better than the girls obvious could. They each scooped up their respective partners and walked them the rest of the way down the corridor, stopping in front of B-60.

"Are you two going to be alright if we leave you?" Robert asked.

"Nooooo, I don't want to leave my Miony-Mines!" Dimitra cut in saddened as she attempted to reach out to Hermione, who was now passed out in Draco's arms. "Don't take her _'hiccup'_ from me Drakey!"

The men decided it was best not answer her, so Draco nodded his head and turned towards the door.

"We'll see you tomorrow then. Sleep tight Drakey." Robert joked before turning around and walked a few doors down.

Draco let out a slight chuckle as he lifted his leg to balance the sleeping girl in his arms, so he could unlock the door. He fumbled a little before finally getting it open and walking inside. Closing the door to suite with his foot, he thanked Salazar that the bedroom was left open. He carried Hermione to the bed and gently set her down. Dropping her heels on the ground he removed his jacket. Throwing it on the chair, he walked to armoire and pulled out one of his button down white shirts. He made his way back to passed out girl and began to undo her dress. He rolled her to her side as he unlaced her corset and removed it from her. Rolling her back he undid the clasps on the garter belts and slowly took off her stockings. He carefully sat her up and put her in his shirt. Once she was dressed he changed into his boxers and crawled over her to get to the other side of the bed, since it was against the wall, and laid down. Almost instinctively, Hermione rolled over and snuggled up against him. He held her close, kissed the top of her head, and closed his eyes; wishing the moment could last forever.

X

Sunday, April 14th, 1912 09:30am

Hermione awoke the next morning with a bare chest in her face. She realized she was in a bed but didn't remember how she got there, or how she got out of her dress. She remembered leaving the party but that was about it; everything else was blank.

 _'She swore she would never drink like that again. She couldn't even recall the last time she had ever drank so much before. She had been tipsy at the graduation party but not wasted. This might have been the first time she has ever been completely drunk.'_

She looked up at the sleeping man holding her, but quickly squeezed her eyes shut as, a raging hangover started to take over her. Burying her face into the man's chest, without a care on who it actually was, she breathed in with a hiss as she tried to shake the pounding headache away. The man holding her squeezed her tight which made her want to vomit. Sitting up quickly, releasing his hold on her, she leapt off the bed and ran out of the bedroom to the bathroom.

Hovering over the toilet, Hermione dry heaved a few times. The pain in her stomach from throwing nothing up made her eyes water. She felt someone pulled her hair back and tie it into a low ponytail. She didn't want to lift her head from the position to see who was helping her, out of embarrassment but she had a strong feeling it was Draco.

 _'There was no way she would go back with someone else, and there was absolutely NO WAY Draco would allow her to leave with a stranger. Well at least she hoped he wouldn't.'_

The tap on the sink turned on and she could hear Draco rummaging around before filling up a glass.

"Here little one. Drink this."

She reached out her left hand without removing her face, and felt up Draco's leg until she felt the glass touch her hands. Taking it from him, she chugged the water down and set the glass on the floor. He picked it up and filled it again.

"Take these and drink this." He claimed as he tapped her on the shoulder. I don't exactly know how many, but you left two out for me that time you gave me a headache. So I am going to assume two will work for you."

Hermione looked up at Draco's hand and let out a small laugh.

"Draco, that's not aspirin."

"Isn't this what you gave me the other day?" he questioned curiously.

She let out another small laugh as she shook her head no, before pointing to the right bottle on the counter. He picked it up and looked at her.

"That's the aspirin. The ones you were about to give me are allergy pills. You know, to help with sneezing, runny nose, and itchy eyes…you…you don't know what allergies are do you?"

"I know what allergies are." He stated in defense. "I just didn't know muggles had two different kinds of…what did you call them? Pills?"

"Yes pills; tablets, medicine. But you do know they have thousands of different kinds for all sorts of different ailments right? Not just two." She explained.

He sat down next to her, stretched his long legs out and leaned up against the wall.

"Like potions?" he asked seemingly trying to understand.

"Yeah, like potions." She replied as she took the bottle from his hand, opened it, and took out 2 small tablets. "Muggles have liquid forms too, similar to potions. Like cough syrup or Pepto…for upset stomachs and other…things."

"What other things?" he raised a brow.

She threw the pills in her mouth and took a swig of her water.

"That, is not a conversation I am comfortable having with you at this present time. You can Google it when we get back. Apparently it's becoming quite a popular search engine."

"Okay, now you've lost me." He expressed, squinting his face in confusion.

"I'll explain later. Right now, all I want is for this headache to go away."

Hermione rested her forehead in her hands and let out a sigh over the toilet. She could see Draco staring at her from the corner of her eye.

"Can I help you?" She asked a little annoyed.

"You're grumpy after a night of drinking." He replied with a smirk.

She rolled her eyes and stared back in to the toilet. After a few minutes of silence, she got tired of looking at the water in the bowl and sat back to lean against the wall near her. She closed her eyes as she felt the medicine start to work. She felt his eyes still on her and decided to humor him.

"Why are you still staring at me?" she asked as she lifted her head from the wall slightly and opened her eyes to look at him.

"I'm just wondering how the bloody hell you learned to lift yourself the way you did last night. That and how you know how to do the Irish Jig." He chuckled.

Letting out a laugh at the memory of what she did, she shrugged her shoulders before answering him.

"I learned the Irish Jig from Seamus. He used to dance a lot at all the house parties. One day, I decided to join in, so he taught me the footwork."

"And the straddle to a handstand move? Please tell me Finnigan didn't teach you that too." He joked.

She let out a giggle. "Goodness no! Seamus has the flexibility of a stick. I actually taught myself how to do it. When we were hunting Horcrux's in the woods, anytime I was on watch and not reading I worked on my strength. I figured it was good to have as a backup in case we were caught or I didn't have my wand on me, since Harry was using mine."

"Wait. Why did Potter have your wand?" he interjected.

"Long story. Anyway, I did a lot of push-ups and such. I already knew how to do a straddle from when I was kid but I was never able to do a full handstand without the help of a wall or some sort. So I practiced until I mastered it in about…five days. Then I added the straddle to it to up the difficulty. I haven't done it in years. I don't know how I managed to do it last night."

"Liquid courage I'd say. Well call me impressed. I didn't know you had it in you to show up a bunch of rough men." He chuckled.

She let out a smile and looked down at her hands.

"So how did you learn to dance the Irish Jig?" she asked, lifting her head.

"Theo, actually. I don't recall how he learned it but he taught me when we were messing around the Black Lake the summer we graduated. Never thought it would actually be a skill I could use one day."

Before she had time to reply a slight knock was heard on the door to their suite. Draco stood up and walked out of the bathroom.

"Draco! Put some pants on!" She called out.

She could hear some muffled talking but could only hear every other word. She recognized Mr. Strafford's voice and figured he was just stopping by to check on them, but then she heard Dimitra so she gathered herself up off the floor and walked out to the sitting room.

"Hermione!" Dimitra yelled as she barged past the two men, into the room. She gave Hermione a hug before turning to Draco and hugged him. "I came to check on you since you both were not down at breakfast yet. How are you feeling dear? And why Draco, do you not have a shirt on? Not that I am complaining." She winked at Hermione.

"I am okay. Hungry, but okay." Hermione responded with a chuckle.

"Well it's a good thing I had Mr. Strafford here bring you up some food. Can't miss breakfast now can we?"

Hermione was about to ask how Dimitra was in such a cheery mood and not suffering the side effects of their heavy drinking last night, but then realized she forgot she was a witch and probably already had a hangover potion ready to go. She wished she could ask her for some but then that would give away her being a witch herself, and she couldn't risk it.

"Thank you Dimitra. That is very kind of you." Hermione replied with a smile as she nodded her head to the man standing in the doorway. She watched him hand Draco the tray he was holding before taking his leave.

"Well I cannot stay long. Robert has plans for us this morning after the church service. Are you two planning on coming? It starts in fifteen minutes." She asked looking to both Draco and Hermione.

"No, that is okay. I actually have plans with Hermione this morning as well." Draco answered. "Thank you for breakfast though."

"It was my pleasure." She responded as looked at Draco's bare chest up and down. She turned back to Hermione and flicked her brows at her, as if to say good job. "I'll see you both at dinner."

Dimitra gave both of them a peck on the cheek before bowing her head and walked out of the room. Draco turned to Hermione still holding the tray he took from the butler and winked. They spent the next twenty minutes eating before getting dressed and headed out the door.

"So where are we going?" she asked curiously.

"I figured we need some fresh air after last night. How does a walk on the upper deck sound? We haven't been up there since the first day."

"That…sounds amazing!"

XXXXX

Sunday, April 14th, 1912 11:26am

They made their way up to the ships upper deck and Hermione took in a deep breath, smelling the ocean breeze that whipped across her face. However, she didn't realize how cold it was outside and let out a shiver.

"Here." Draco stated as he removed his jacket and placed it on her shoulders.

She nodded her head in thanks. He took her hand and they began to walk around the ships deck. They stopped to look at the workout room and realized just how dated everything looked. To everyone else it was the latest equipment; top of the line, purchased to maximize the exercise experience. At least that is what a sweaty guy told them when they toured the room. To Hermione, the equipment looked like it belonged in a museum.

The walked up some stairs and received a tour by one of the ships First Officers, William Murdoch. He showed them the Navigating Bridge and Hermione was in awe as he explained how everything worked. He even let them touch one of the two wheels that steered the Titanic.

"Why are there two wheels?" Draco asked confused.

"The Titanic is so large that it has two rotors. Each wheel is required to control each one." Murdoch explained with a smile, not realizing that Draco had no idea what a rotor was.

As they walked to the front of the bridge Hermione spotted a lookout tower through the large windows, which looked to have people inside. She wondered how the Titanic managed to hit the iceberg when there were people on the lookout.

 _'Unless they weren't there, when the ship hit.'_

"Pardon me Mr. Murdoch, but are there always people in the lookout tower?" She asked politely.

"As a matter of fact, there are always two. We have four lookouts on the ship and they take their shifts in pairs."

"And how ever do they see from such a high position? Everything must look so small from up there." She questioned trying to get more information out of him.

"Binoculars ma'am, unfortunately we cannot seem to find the key to the cabinet holding them…But worry not Mrs. Lovegood. These men have good eyes and are trained to spot any danger in the ship's path with and without binoculars." Murdoch explained realizing he probably shouldn't have told her that.

They continued their tour and were introduced to Captain Edward J. Smith. He was an older man in his sixties; at least that is what Hermione thought. For all she knew life as a sea Captain could have aged him. He was sweet old man and she learned that he was a British Merchant Navy officer and he had served for forty years as a master to numerous Whit Star Line vessels, including the Olympic; Titanic's sister ship.

Hermione knew of his fate; which made talking to the man that much harder on her. She had to hold back tears as she wanted to hug him so badly it hurt. She tried her best to pay attention to what he was showing them but her thoughts kept lingering on his death. The lone death, he would have, in the very same place they were standing.

They said their goodbyes and thanks to the First Officer and Captain once the tour was finished and started walking towards the bow of the ship. She removed the melancholy thought in her mind and move on to something a little lighter.

She tried to explain to Draco a few of the ships architectural aspects but he lost it when she mentioned that there was a platform called the Poop Deck, in the rear of the ship. Even through his disbelief, he laughed for a good five minutes before catching his breath, teary eyed.

"They…they really call it that though?" he let out another knee slapping laugh. "But…it's in the rear!…Get it? Poop, rear? Ha!" he laughed again.

She watched him in amusement as he tried to compose himself and failed. His laugh was addicting though and without meaning to, she started laughing with him. People were giving them wearily looks but neither of them cared. It was the best laugh she has had in a long time and she wasn't about to let a bunch of elite entitled people ruin it for her.

Once they both composed themselves after about five more minutes of laughing, they continued their walk to the bow of the ship and leaned over the railing.

"Thank you." Hermione began.

"For what?" He asked as he stared at the water in front of them.

"For taking care of me last night…and this morning. You didn't have to do that." she explained gently.

"You don't need to thank me for taking care of you Hermione. I wanted to do it. I want to keep doing it for as long as I can." He admitted tenderly.

Hermione couldn't help but smile as she looked over the railing and watched the water below them.

"It's strange you know…To know that all of this will be at the bottom of this massive ocean before us." Draco announced with a hint of gloominess in his voice.

She didn't want to think about another painfully sad subject, but it was inevitable. She let out a sigh before beginning to speak.

"It is hard to believe. Then again I had the same thought about Hogwarts before the battle." She asserted.

"I know what you mean. It's like one minute it's there, in all its glory, and the next it's in ruins with rubble scattered everywhere and holes in the area that used to be a wall. It was hard…for me…to imagine what it once looked like whole again after that. To know that that was the place I spent the best years of my life and in a matter of a few hours…it was gone. Hogwarts was my home…My real home." He expressed woefully.

"I understand. But at least we got to see Hogwarts rebuilt. Titanic will never get that…It will forever be an underwater graveyard…Most people on this ship will probably be forgotten. I can't imagine dying in such a way and having no one remember you." She admitted sadly.

"Well if we don't survive this Hermione, the only ones remembering us…is us. We need to make it out of this alive…I…I don't want to be forgotten."

He lowered his head and she could have sworn she saw a tear run down his cheek.

 _'She didn't know what to say. She couldn't have them make a promise to remember each other if one of them doesn't make it. Because if they die in 1912; they will cease to exist in 2001. No one would be able to remember or mourn them…because no one would know who they are. The whole present would have to shift to correct the mistake. For all she knew, Harry could die in that reality without her help and then Voldemort would win. They had to make it home…they had to live.'_

"We'll make it Draco. We don't have any other choice." She was finally able to say as she reached out and grasped his hand in comfort.

They stood at the at the railing in silence as they watched the water break beneath them; parting out of the way in front of the massive ship as it sailed through Atlantic. Unknowing its future fate and their own, was about to happen in just a matter of hours.

 **Thank you all so much for still following this story. I want to let you all know that the next few chapters will be laid out rather differently than the rest you are used to. POV's will most likely change back and forth throughout the chapters, to give you an insight how both Hermione and Draco experience the sinking. I will part each POV with the date and time, or just the time. I haven't decided yet. Just know that this story does not end here. We still have a long way to go. I just hope you continue to stick by me as I write it. Your support means the world to me!**


	21. Chapter 21- Smell Ice Can You

**LARGE QUOTES FROM THE MOVIE TITANIC WILL BE USED IN THIS CHAPTER. I HAVE MODIFIED SOME, TO FIT THE STORY BUT I WANT TO LET EVERYONE KNOW, THAT I DO NOT OWN THE ORIGINAL QUOTES. THEY BELONG TO JAMES CAMERON AND THE STAFF OF THE MOVIE!**

Chapter 21- Smell Ice Can You

 **Sunday, April 14** **th** **, 1912 11:38pm**

Draco watched as Hermione twirled in a circle with a wide smile on his face. He was leaning on the railing at bow of the ship with his hands in his pockets, as he recalled the last few hours. They had skipped lunch to watch Titanic move through the ocean, in wonderment. Once it got too cold out, they headed back to their room and had a glorious steamy shower session, he could only hope to repeat soon. They decided to take a nap afterward until dinner, since they had hardly gotten any sleep last night due to the party going on, longer than he expected it to. They met Aquila, Dimitra, Molly and their respective pairs at dinner and gossiped about anything and everything.

 _'He wished his parents could have dinners like that at home but they always ate in silence. Once they got back, he would be determined to make sure meals at the Manor, were more lively.'_

Before dinner had ended, he pulled Aquila off to the side to talk to her and get her opinion on some family things while Hermione chatted away with Dimitra, Robert, and Cygnus. Molly had left right after dinner to catch up on some reading before bed and he could see the excitement in Hermione's eyes, when she asked her what book she was reading.

Due to the nap they had taken earlier, they were both wide awake after dinner, so they decided to be rebels and run around the ship. They played a game that Hermione had called TAG. He thought a muggle game would be boring and stupid but found out, it was actually quite fun. They chased each other around the deck of the ship for a few hours before resting at the bow to catch their breaths. He couldn't help but stare at Hermione with a tender heart.

 _'She looks so beautiful in her flowing yellow dress. He really did love her in every way, shape, and form. She knew how to have fun. He didn't expect that from the bookworm know-it-all. She had surprised him so much, throughout the whole journey, he wondered if he ever really knew her.'_

He never got to finish that thought. A loud bell rang out from above them and he looked up to see two men in the crow's nest, acting frantic. He couldn't hear what they were yelling but he saw one man grab an object and start yelling into it. He was about to follow the second man's line of sight when he felt Hermione yank him away from the railing roughly, in a panic.

X

 **11:39pm**

Hermione stopped spinning instantly as soon as she heard the bell go off. She looked up to the crow's nest tower, saw the frantic men, and knew exactly what was about to happen. She turned towards Draco but he wasn't paying attention to her. She went to say something to him and that's when she saw it. About nine hundred feet away behind him, was a large white object coming closer and closer; the iceberg. It was so much bigger than she imagined and it wasn't even upon them yet. She quickly yanked Draco away from the railing almost knocking them both down but she didn't care. She had to get him away from the edge.

He looked at her in confusion but looked to where her eyes landed and his face dropped. Draco gripped her waist and pulled her back, down a set of stair, closer to the middle of the bow deck. She felt the ship stall. The engines stopped suddenly, to reverse the propellers, knocking her to their knees. She quickly lifted her head and watched in horror as the ship looked to hit the mass head on. Draco picked her up off the deck and they stood there in fear, as they watched the event unfold; unable to do anything about it.

"Why aren't they turning?" She asked in panic.

She could hear Draco whispering as well; chanting ' _Turn…come on, turn_ ' over and over again as the ship slowly turned left, away from the iceberg. He never let go over her and their eyes never left the white giant. It would appear, that the Titanic would miss the block of ice, but she was wrong; so very, very, wrong.

X

 **11:40pm**

Draco stared in terror as the ship got closer to the iceberg. He knew the inevitable was about to happen. The day they wished never came was here and there was no escaping it. The few people around them also stared in fear as the ship was now only about two hundred feet away from crashing. Titanic tried to turn but she wasn't fast enough. He heard a woman scream, as a man, looking over the railing Draco was previously leaning against, ran away yelling in terror.

"IT'S GONNA HIT!"

He didn't have time to think. He looked up at the massive slab of ice that leered over them about a hundred feet in the air.

"Jesus Christ!" He heard a man near them, shout in shock.

The deck beneath them rumbled and quaked as Titanic's starboard side collided with the iceberg; causing a vibration that shook his entire body. Large pieces of ice crashed down upon them; he quickly pulled Hermione back, out of the way, falling to the floor as the ice slid across the deck, stopping just short of them.

"Oh my god!" Hermione cried out as she looked at a large brick of ice that almost hit them.

She jumped to her feet and ran to the railing. Draco followed to keep her safe and leaned over the railing as well. They both watched in shock as the iceberg past by the ship. It only took about a minute before it was behind them, like it never existed. The ship continued to sail but at a much slower pace now. He knew it was going to stop eventually. He didn't know much about muggle machinery but even he knew, that the ship would not be able to continue if an ocean full of water was pouring inside of it; and it was.

A large quantity of steam was released from the ships Smokestacks and Draco thought it was because of the water entering the hot boiler room. He had asked Hermione earlier in the day, the steps that would be taken once the ship hits. He remembered parts of what she said. One mainly being, that the engineering staff would have to close the boilers that were filled with very hot high-pressure steam, as quickly as possible to prevent the cold seawater from reaching them; causing an explosion. He really hoped they did it and with the steam billowing out of the smokestacks, and the fact that they hadn't blown up yet; he figured they were successful.

 _'He thought they were prepared for this. They had talked about every day since Hermione remembered. They had a whole plan laid out; but experiencing it?...He wasn't prepared for the sheer terror he ensued. He had no idea if they could even stick to the plan anymore. It was one thing to think about the disaster; it was a whole other story, to live it.'_

Everything was happening so fast beneath his feet; he wanted to see what it looked like below. Maybe even help in some way, but Hermione wouldn't let him. She said it was not only dangerous but brought up the whole, not changing the past, bullshit.

Nothing was going to stop the train of events that was about to unfold. No one, but themselves, could save them now.

X

 **11:45pm**

Hermione sat on a bench and watched as a group of Third Class passengers kicked around a block of ice that had fallen on to the ship's deck. She wanted to scream at them; to yell that this was not a game and that everything they know is about to change. But she couldn't. Not just because she couldn't risk changing things but because she couldn't move. She was still in shock. If she thought the war was bad; it was nothing compared to what was about to transpire.

 _'In the war, one at least knew who the enemy was and could fight back. Well, she knew who the enemy was now, but there was no way of fighting back, no way of defending themselves; there was absolutely no way to prepare or battle against a disaster like this. And this was just the beginning. It was about to get a whole lot worse from here…And no one but her and Draco, knew.'_

Draco came walking down the set of stairs leading to lower level of the bow. He had gone to ask a crew member if lifeboats where going to be brought out now.

"What did they say?" Hermione asked him, standing to meet him; finally shaking the shock away.

"Bloody nothing! All they kept telling me was that everything was fine and under control. The water tight doors are sealed and to not worry. If one more person tells me to not worry, I am going to bloody hex their balls off!" Draco expressed in anger. "Don't they understand what just happened? Why can't they understand the seriousness of the situation?"

"Draco. We need to stay calm-'

"No! I will not stay calm! This is horse shit and they bloody well know it. Why are we even here Hermione? We don't belong here! Those fucking stones are just messing with us! They ar-"

Hermione stood up quickly and slapped her hand over his mouth to stop him from yelling.

"Shut up! You will say something important and everyone will hear it; making things worse for us. Just shut up!" She pleaded through clenched teeth; looking around to make sure no one was watching them.

Her eye caught Captain Smith and Mr. Andrews having a discussion on the Bridge Deck before Mr. Andrews walked away in a hurry. She removed her hand from Draco's mouth and grabbed his wrist, dragging him off the deck of the ship.

X

 **11:50pm**

"What the hell Granger? Where are we going? Are we even allowed to be down here?" Draco asked in anger, releasing her hold on him once they were far enough away from prying ears.

She slapped a hand to his mouth again as she held her finger to her lips, telling him to be quite. She peaked around the corner of the wall they we stand at and slowly removed her hand from his mouth.

"We are following Mr. Andrews. He knows something and I want to know what it is." She whispered.

Draco looked around the corner and saw the man disappear through a door.

 _'Whatever room he just walked into was extraordinarily loud and he wondered how he could stand the noise without something to cover his ears. Was it the engine room?'_

He looked above the door and saw the sign that read _'Boiler Room No. 6'_ and he had an idea of what the man knew. Before he could think any more of it he saw Andrews emerge from the room and he quickly pulled himself back around the corner. He looked around for a hiding spot and found a closet. Dragging Hermione into it, he closed the door just enough, so that he could see the man walk by with an officer in tow.

"I need to get my blue prints. Meet me at the bridge in five minutes with the rest of the officers." Mr. Andrew's demanded as he ran off down the corridor.

Once the both men left, Draco turned to Hermione with a worried look. Grabbing her hand they left the closet and ran back to Bridge Deck.

 **Monday, April 15** **th** **, 1912 12:00am**

Draco held Hermione's hand as they snuck their way on to the Bridge. They hid behind a wall just outside the open room and waited. It wasn't long before Mr. Andrews, accompanied by Mr. Ismay and multiple Officers arrived. They took a risk and peeked around the open archway to get a better view of what was going on. Mr. Andrews threw a blueprint on the table and opened it with the help of the Captain.

"Water… fourteen feet above the keel in ten minutes. In the fore peak, in all three holds, and in boiler room six." Andrew's began in a panic.

'This is most unfortunate Captain but when can we get underway dammit!" Ismay demanded.

"That's five compartments!" Andrews shouted.

"What is your point? We have a deadline we need to make in order to secure the headlines in the papers! Other ships have been able to keep sailing after having a few little bumps. Titanic will get by." Ismay announced with anger.

"She can stay afloat for the first four compartments breached, but not five!"

Mr. Andrew's turned back to the Captain with dread in his eyes.

"Not five. As she goes down by the head, the water will spill over the tops of the bulkheads at E deck from one to the next. Back and back. There is no stopping it."

"What about the pumps? If we open the doors-" Smith suggested but Andrews interrupted.

"The pumps will by you time, but minutes only…From this moment, no matter what we do, Titanic will founder." He responded regretfully.

"But this ship can't sink! God himself could not sink this ship-" Ismay expressed in shock.

"I told you before Mr. Ismay, I will tell you again! She is made of iron; she can…and she will. It is a mathematical certainty. She was never titled unsinkable. The newspapers gave her that title to sell more tickets! "

"What? This is absurd! The-" Ismay began still in disbelief.

"How much time?" Smith asked cutting Ismay off.

Andrews looked at the blue print on the table and counted.

"An hour…two at most."

"And how many souls on board, Mr. Murdoch?"

The first officer took a step forward and gulped.

"2,200 souls on board, sir."

Captain Smith turned to Mr. Ismay after a moment of silence from everyone in the room.

"Well…I believe you may get your headlines, Mr. Ismay." He turned to the rest of the crew. "Prepare the lifeboats. Get all crew and passengers ready on the deck. I want SOS signals sent out immediately and get the distress rockets load-"

"Sir! Sir!" a man ran into the room with papers in hand. "Mr. Andrews asked me to send out an SOS to anyone who would listen. The Carpathia says they are making seventeen knots, full steam for them, sir!"

"And she is the only one who's responding?" Smith asked.

"The only one close, sir. She says they can be here in four hours."

"Four hours!" Smith yelled in shock "My God…Have mercy on us all."

X

 **12:05am**

Hermione looked at Draco. Both of their faces were ones of terror.

 _'She knew this disaster would be bad; she didn't think it would be two hours bad. That wasn't enough time; and with hardly enough lifeboats…it's no wonder so many people die. Even the responding ship wouldn't get to them in time.'_

She tapped Draco on his side and started to crawl away from the Bridge. Once they were out of eye sight she panicked.

"Oh my God!...Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God! Fucking hell!" She yelled.

She turned to Draco and grabbed his upper arms.

"We need to go back to the room! We need to get my bag! Oh my God Dimitra; Aquilla!"

"Hermione breathe!" he pleaded, but she was far from listening.

Everything kept running through her mind at once. She was in full panic now and couldn't breathe. Literally; she couldn't breathe. She was having a panic attack and started to hyperventilate. She felt Draco grab her arms and say something but she couldn't hear him. She was in full blown hysteria. He pulled her off to the side and had her sit on a set of stairs blocked by a large wall. He knelt down on the step below her but she ignored him as dread filled her lungs. Suddenly she felt a hard smack across her left cheek and she stopped breathing for a moment. After a few seconds she looked back at Draco and took a deep breath.

"T…thank you."

"Please don't make me do that ever again." He begged with a frown and kissed the top of her forehead.

She didn't know what to say so she nodded her head as a tear fell down her cheek. He quickly wiped it away with his thumb and stood up.

"We don't have much time. We need to grab our stuff. Come on, let's go." He grabbed her hand and led her back down to B- Deck.

X

 **12:15am**

Draco opened the door to their suite as staff knocked on doors down the corridor.

"EVERYBODY UP! PUT YOUR LIFEBELTS ON!" they announced.

He walked in the room and rushed to the bedroom. Grabbing the bag, he made his way back out to the Sitting Room as a crew member entered the suite.

"I beg your pardon, but we are requiring you to put your lifebelts on and meet on the top deck" He commanded as he walked in and pulled two life jackets from the top of the closet in the Sitting Room. "Not to worry, just a safety precaution."

He handed the couple their jackets and left the room to continue on his task. Draco looked to Hermione and set his jacket down to help her with hers. Once he was finished tying the last string, the door burst open; Dimitra and Robert entered wearing life vests and looking rather alarmed.

"What is going on? Have you heard anything? No one will tell us anything!" Dimitra panicked.

He took a deep breath before looking at the couple.

"The ship hit and iceberg."

"I'm sorry, what?" Robert asked distressed, holding a hand up.

"The ship is sinking." Hermione explained. "We have less than two hours to get to a lifeboat."

"But…there aren't enough boats for everyone…Jesus, Mary, and Joseph." Dimitra uttered in sadness.

"How do you know this?" Robert demanded.

"We were there when it hit. We saw the iceberg and we over heard the crew members talking. A rescue ship won't arrive for four hours but Titanic only has two." Draco clarified.

"We need to pack-" Dimitra expressed.

"We don't have time! We need to go now; the ship is already starting to flood!" Hermione interjected.

Dimitra looked at her wide eyed in shock. Draco could tell she was scared but they didn't have time to think it over. They had to move and they had to move now. He handed Hermione her hand bag before turning back to the couple.

"We need to go." He stated seriously before grabbing Hermione's hand and led her out of the room.

X

 **12:25am**

Hermione stood next to Draco on the starboard side, as she watched officers prepare lifeboats on the davits. The noise was unbearably loud and the crowd was enormous. People were jamming into one another and there was barely any room to move. Every class on the ship was present but not every class was in a panic. Some people were laughing and talking to one another as if nothing bad was happening.

"Listen up!" She heard a man yell over the noise." We require all women and children first."

The men in the crowd starting spatting at the officer in protest as women and children made their way to the front of the group. Just then a distress rocket went off near them and burst into a white light in the sky; temporarily causing everyone to look in wonder. Hermione stayed next to Draco, not wanting to leave him, as Dimitra clung to her arm in fear.

"Will the lifeboats be seated according to class?" A random woman asked.

She was of course, ignored, as they started filling the lifeboat with people. Hermione was pushed to the front and an officer went to grab her to place her in the boat but she ripped her arm out of his grasp and turned into Draco's chest. His arms instinctively wrapped around her as he pulled her back. All of a sudden the crowd was in an uproar. A Second Class man had started a fight with an officer for not letting him on the lifeboat. People pushed through the crowd causing her to be torn away from Draco.

As they separated she lost sight of him and in a panic, looked around. She spotted Dimitra and Robert to her left and made her way to them.

"I lost Draco! Do you see him anywhere?" she yelled to the couple.

Robert and Dimitra looked around the group to help her but shook their heads no.

"Wait!" Dimitra expressed. "I see him! Over there!"

She pointed to Hermione's right as she stood on her tip toes. Hermione saw the unmistakable blonde hair in the crowd and instantly started to push through people to get to him. Dimitra grabbed her hand as she and Robert followed.

As soon as she saw Draco in view she released Dimitra's hand and ran to him, but she collided into a man who had stepped in front of her; knocking her to the floor. He was wearing a suit jacket, so she figured he was a first class gentleman. His eyes were soft but after having a better look she noticed he was not First Class.

 _'He's wearing Third Class ragged clothing under that suit jacket. Did he steal it? Or did someone give him the jacket?'_

Looking down at her, he reached an arm out to help her up. At least that is what she thought he was going to do. Instead he grabbed her handbag that she held on her wrist and tried to pull it away. She instantly gripped the handbag hard as they played tug of war with it. She yanked the hand bag with all she could muster on the ground, to break it free from the man's grip. But he held on tightly and fell on top of her.

She expelled a heavy grunt as he fell on to her, but he kept trying to pull the bag out of her hands; even attempting to pry her fingers off it. He got up quickly and Hermione realize he didn't do it out of his own accord. Draco had dragged the man off her and punched him, hard, in the face, twice. The man fell to the floor out cold as Draco towered over him in anger. But he didn't have a chance to turn back to face her. Two officers saw the punches and ran up to him. Hermione watched from the floor as the men gripped Draco up and pinned him face first into a wall.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING!" he shouted as the men pushed his face harder into the wall.

Hermione was suddenly picked up off the ground by Robert. She didn't even thank him as she ran to Draco. One of the officers cuffed him as the other grabbed her to keep her away. She kicked and screamed as she fought the man holding her.

"Stop it, he didn't do anything wrong! What are you doing? Let me go!"

"He assaulted a First Class gentleman! He is under arrest!" the officer stated.

"What? That man assaulted me first! He was protecting me!" she screamed in anger.

The officer looked to have believed her and she thought he would let her go, but he didn't. Instead he pushed her back into Roberts's arms. Dimitra laid a gentle hand, in comfort, on her arm as the trio watched the officers, in dismay; take a fighting Draco, away.


	22. Chapter 22- Betrayal

Chapter 22- Betrayal

Monday April 15th, 1912 **12:42am**

Draco fought with everything he had to get away from the officers as they dragged him away from Hermione. He could only kick and flail his body since his hands were trapped behind him, cuffed. He shouted his innocence but they weren't listening. He saw Hermione run after him followed by Dimitra and Robert, but the crowd was preventing them from getting to him. He tried so hard to break them men's holds, but it was to no avail.

They led him down multiple flights of stairs and to an elevator. He once again tried to fight the men off him but they held on tightly. They had the bellman lower the lift to E deck. They stepped out, dragging him down the hallway, to the Master at Arms office to hold him.

"Are you people insane? The ship is bloody sinking and you are trying to arrest me? What the fuck is wrong with you?" He shouted but they ignored him.

Suddenly he heard a familiar voice behind them.

"STUPIFY! PETRIFICUS TOTALUS!" The voice yelled.

The two men fell to the floor and Draco stood in astonishment for a few seconds before turning around to see Hermione standing behind him, breathing heavily, like she had just run a marathon. He looked her up and down, impressed, before she ran to him. She hugged and kissed him but was interrupted by Robert and Dimitra running towards them. They stopped to catch their breaths as they looked down at the two men on the floor.

"What the?" Dimitra began.

"What happened?" Robert asked confused.

"Don't ask. You don't want to know." Draco replied carefully. "Can someone undo these bloody things on me? They hurt like a bitch."

"Right!" Robert announced as he dug in to one of the officers coats for the key.

Draco turned around so Robert could unlock the cuffs. He rubbed his wrists once he was free and walked right up to Hermione. He kissed her hard; like his life depended on it, in thanks for saving him.

"Guys."

"Eh hem. I'd say get a room but you might drown in it by the time you two are done." Robert joked.

"Uh, guys." Dimitra said again trying to get their attention.

He pulled back and smirked at Robert before leaning in to kiss Hermione again.

"GUYS!" Dimitra shouted.

"Okay! We won't snog in-" Draco began as he pulled back from his kiss.

"No…Look!" she pointed down the corridor.

The trio looked in the direction she was pointing to. A steady stream of water started pouring down the beige carpet; staining the floor with seawater and getting thicker as it moved down the corridor.

"Isn't...isn't that the way we came?" Hermione asked.

"We need to hurry." Robert exclaimed.

They all nodded their heads in agreement and started making their way back.

X

 **01:05am**

Hermione held back some, as the group made their way down the now wet corridor. She turned to the two officers on the floor and released the spells holding them down. They took deep breaths in as they came to; she never took her wand off them. They looked around, suddenly realizing their prisoner was missing and stood up quickly.

"Bleeding Christ! What happened? Wha- What do you plan on doing with that stick miss?" one of the officers asked in confusion when his eyes landed on her. She squinted at his name tag and saw that it read Michael.

"I'll ask the questions here, Michael. Why did take Draco away? Why didn't you listen to me when I told you that you had the wrong man?" she asked in anger.

"We do not need to answer to a woman." The other officer retorted with a snort. "Especially, one pointing a useless stick at us, in what; defense?" he chuckled.

Michael didn't seem amused by the man's half joke. In fact he looked scared as he looked at the wand she held out in front of her.

' _Does he know that it's a wand? Is he of magical blood?'_

The water that was filling the corridor moments ago, was now rushing past their feet. She ignored the cold liquid as it splashed around her feet, soaking the hem of her yellow dress. She had changed into a short sleeve dress earlier and opted to not wear a corset after dinner, so she could run around with Draco on the upper deck. She regretted it now because she was freezing and the ice water was making it worse. However she pushed through the goosebumps and kept her wand pointed at the men.

"You will answer me! Or so help me-"

"You'll what? Look ma'am we do not answer to you. So why don't you get that stick out of our faces and let us do our jobs." The arrogant officer interjected.

"Do your job? You arrested an innocent man and brought him down here, while the ship is sinking! Do you honestly expect me to believe, that you were just 'doing your job'?" she expressed in anger.

The officer never answered her. Instead, he lunged towards her wand arm, but she was too quick for him.

"Impendimenta!" She yelled with a flick of her wand.

The officer's movements slowed down drastically as he came barreling toward her. She flicked her wrist again.

"Flipendo!"

He flew back into the wall with a hard thud and landed on the ground unconscious. She turned to Michael who had terror written all over him as he looked at his partner on the floor. He looked back to her in fear and opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted.

"Hermione?" Draco called out. He looked at the man on the floor, before looking to the cowering officer, then back to Hermione. "What the…What did you do?"

The man on the ground started to stir slightly and Draco quickly pulled his wand out of his jacket pocket; pointing it at the man. Just then Dimitra and Robert came barreling down the corridor; stopping just short of the scene with mouths wide open.

"Shit." Hermione muttered under her breath.

"Draco? Hermione? What is going- Are you…you're of magic?" Dimitra stuttered in puzzlement as she looked on at the scene in front of her.

Both Draco and Hermione looked at the couple like deer frozen in headlights. She didn't know what to say. They had just been caught doing the one thing they were trying to hide from everyone this whole time.

Draco turned back to the two men, keeping his wand level as Hermione took a deep breath in.

"Dimitra, I can't explain right now. I'm sorry, I really am. But it's important that you didn't say anything about this…please. I'll explain everything later, I promise. Right now I need to deal with this and you need to get to a boat, okay?"

"I most certainly will not! You lied to me! How cou-"

"Please…I am begging you. I will tell you all about it later." She interrupted with a plea.

"Don't you dare tell me what to do; I thought you were a muggle! I trusted you!"

"I could say the same thing to you, but I don't have time right now! Get to a boat Dimitra! I won't tell you again!" Hermione yelled in frustration.

Dimitra looked in shock at Hermione. She didn't mean to yell at her but Hermione couldn't risk her and Robert not making it.

' _They have to live…they just have to. She could handle Dimitra being mad; she wouldn't be able to handle her dying.'_

"This isn't over!" Dimitra turned on her heels in a huff and walked down the flooded corridor with Robert in tow.

Hermione looked back to Michael who looked even more scared, now that Draco was present.

"Now, tell me why you did it." She asked calmly.

"I…We were paid off. I did not want to do it Miss, I promise you. But she threatened my safety and she did something to Cornell with a stick…just…just like that one." Michael answered quickly with guilt as he pointed to Draco's wand.

"Wait…You were paid to arrest me?" Draco asked in confusion. "By who? Why?"

"Yes…yes sir; myself, Cornell here, and that Third Class man. The man was supposed to steal your bag Miss." He pointed to Hermione's bag that dangled on her wand arm. "Cornell and I were supposed to watch him, in case something happened or he stole the bag for himself. We saw Mr. Lovegood punch the man so we had to act. We were told that if he interfered, to bring him below deck, lock him in a room, and let the ship have him. I swear to you I did not want to do it. Please understand, I swear." Michael pleaded.

"What? Why would someone want to steal my bag and lock you up? This makes no sense." Hermione began, looking at Draco.

"Who hired you?" Draco demanded, moving closer, now pointing his wand at the neck of the officer.

Michael looked terrified as he pointed an arm behind Draco.

"S…sh…She did." He stuttered.

Hermione and Draco both turned to follow the man's finger. What they weren't expecting to see, was the woman, they thought they trusted.

 **01:24am**

"You! But why? What did we ever do to you?" Hermione asked in shock.

Draco looked at the woman who appeared out of nowhere, with hatred. He pulled his wand from Michael's neck and pointed it at the woman standing in front of him. Michael ran down the corridor, leaving the trio alone but he didn't care. He was raging with anger and kept his wand fixed on the woman.

"Oh, please Draco darling, put that down. You'll hurt yourself." Ms. Applegate announced in a grin with her wand pointed at Hermione's chest.

He didn't budge. The water had now risen to their ankles but he wouldn't let that distract him. Instead he stepped in front of Hermione, never taking his eyes off Ms. Applegate. He was angry at the woman, but he would not risk his love getting harmed.

' _The handmaiden they thought they trusted just betrayed them and he didn't even know why. There was no chance he would let her get away with this. No chance in hell!'_

"What do you want from us? Why did you do this?" Hermione pleaded as she looked around Draco's arm.

"What do I want? Hm, that is a very good question Hermione…I want the stones you possess. Yes, I know all about the stones and who you both really are, Ms. Granger. I have somewhat of a gift of foresight. I had a dream about the two of you, the night before I found you in The Castle. I dreamt of your arrival and your collection of the stones, but I had to keep up appearance until you were in possession of them. You see, I want the stones for myself and my lover; one of the cooks at The Manor. We want a better life, not this serving other people bull shit with little to no pay. I knew what brought you to this time and that you didn't belong. I overheard Madam Malfoy talking to her husband's grandmother before her passing. So I paid off some people and used an Imperius curse here and there to get what I wanted. " Ms. Applegate explained.

"So you followed us, knowing that the stones bring people back to a time with a disaster?" Hermione asked with a raised brow.

"We don't care about some stupid ship, or wherever the stones decided to place us! We don't plan to come back and I have done my research on all major disasters in history thus far. We will have no problem getting by. Now…if you will, hand over your bag Ms. Granger." Applegate clarified as she reached out her open hand for the bag.

"No! You are fucking insane! We give you the stones and you'll just disapparate out of here, leaving us stuck in this time! You have to be bloody stupid to think we would just hand our future over to you!" Draco yelled in anger.

"That is where you are wrong Draco. You can't disapparate off this ship there is an anti-apparition ward surrounding it. Titanic may be a muggle creation but wizards controlled ticket sales. They couldn't just have magical folk's disapparating in the middle of the ocean. That would cause too many problems since it is highly risky and we are so far out. Not to mention international legal issues with immigrants entering the United States illegally. You are over seventeen; you of all people should know that. Humph, just like a Malfoy; proud, presumptuous, and arrogant. Also, you think I care about your pathetic future together? Not that you could actually be together anyway, with Hermione here being a little mudblood and your family being so prejudice."

"You watch your mouth, you filthy bitch!" Draco stated through clenched teeth, in rage.

He was starting to see red now, but he had to control himself. His own ancestor had told him to watch his temper the other day and he knew he was the type to hex first, ask questions later. He needed to control the situation until he could figure out a way to get out of it. It wasn't just his life on the line anymore.

"What are you going to do Draco? Hex me? We both know that would not end well for you…The bag, NOW!" Applegate demanded, flicking her fingers for them to hand the bag over.

Draco felt Hermione start to walk out from behind him but he instantly reached back and stopped her.

"No! I am not going to let you leave us here!" He shouted at the woman.

"Very well, I guess I will just have to force you to give it to me…Imper-"

Ms. Applegate stood frozen in place; the Imperius curse still resting on her lips. She was staring at the couple wide eye before collapsing on to the flooding floor. Behind her, Aquila Malfoy stood with an arm out stretched and nostrils flaring. She had no wand out and she never uttered a word.

' _He knew his family had powerful magic, he didn't know though, that one of his own ancestors could produce a knock out charm with no wand and wordless. She might not be a blood Malfoy but she was still very powerful.'_

"Not my family, you bitch!" She stated in anger as she stared down at the unconscious handmaiden.

"Aquila!" Hermione chirped in happiness and ran out from behind Draco to hug the woman who just saved their lives.

"How did you find us?" Draco asked with a smile on his face as he placed his wand back in his jacket.

"I saw Dimitra run to the upper deck in a fit, yelling about you both not being muggles to Robert. A few minutes later Officer Michael came running with fear all over him. I stopped him to ask what was wrong and he told me everything. I came as soon as I could! Are you both alright? Are you hurt?" Aquila asked in concern looking them both over.

"We are okay, thanks to you!" Hermione chimed.

"No thanks are needed. You are family; even you my dear Hermione." Aquila stated with a smile as she touched her fingers under Hermione's chin. "Now, we must hurry. There is not much time. The bow of the ship is already covered in water. People are panicking and they are closing the gates to Third Class."

"Closing the gates? Why are they closing the gates? Won't that trap a lot of people?" Hermione asked in fear.

Aquila just looked at her with a saddened expression. Draco knew the reason they were closing the gates. They wanted to make sure people with more money and of importance got a seat on a life boat first. It was unfair but once again, there was nothing he could do about it.

"What about them." He asked pointing the handmaiden laying, almost drowning on the floor.

"She was a terrible handmaiden anyway; let her rot down her….as for the officer." She raised her hand and magically moved him far down the hall in the opposite direction, before snapping her fingers, awakening him.

They quickly followed Aquila down the corridor to get away from the scene. They walked for a few minutes before Aquila raised her hand to stop them.

"That…That is the way I came." She announced as she looked at the stairwell.

Water was pouring out of doorway, down the stairwell like a raging river. There was no way they would be able to exit through it. Once the door was opened a wave would hit them and sweep them away. They had to find another exit.

They backed tracked some and found a second exit. They made their way through and found themselves in a very cramped, very crowded, stairwell. People were shouting and crying at the closed gates. One of the three crew members on the other side of the gate was trying to tell people to allow women and children to the front, but men had to stay behind, until life boats were ready for them. The crowd didn't seem to take it well as they started trying to reach out to grab the man and shook the gates in anger.

Draco squeezed himself through the crowd to reach the front. He was still in his suite so he hoped the man would open the gates up for him, seeing as he was a First Class passenger.

"Hey! You! Yeah you, let me, my wife, and my mother out of here please. It's a long story but we are trapped down here and we need to get to a boat quickly." He announced.

The man walked over to him and looked him up and down.

"I am sorry sir but I can't open the gates and let you out. Women and children first." The man replied.

"You're just going to let us all die down here! Don't you fucking care? What is wrong with you?" Draco announced as he started getting angrier.

"I am sorry sir but I open the gate and we get swamped. I don't have the authority to open it unless it is to let women and children through."

' _He was tired of this man's bull shit excuses to keep innocent people from having a fighting chance. He wouldn't let him get away with it. Screw his temper!'_

His hands felt hot and his blood boiled as his temper rose beyond his control.

"FUCKING HELL! YOU DUMB, MURDERING, STUPID, COWARD, SON OF A BITCH!" He shouted in rage.

He shook the gates as hard as he could. All of a sudden a burst of orange light lit the stairwell as the gate flew off its hinges and slammed into the men on the other side. They fell to the ground in groans with the gate landing on top of them and Draco stood there in shock at what he had just done. Everyone went quite instantly, trying to figure out what just happened, but quickly brushed it off and started to run and climb over people and the gate to get through. They brushed, pushed, and knocked into Draco but he just stood there; staring at his hands in confusion.

Once the crowd had cleared, he felt a light tap on his shoulder but he didn't turn around.

"Draco?...Draco are you okay? How…how did you do that?" Hermione asked cautiously.

"I…I don't know. I didn't know …I even could do that." he admitted still looking at his hands.

"That my dear boy, was very powerful wandless and wordless, emotional magic; very rare, for one to achieve. Anger is usually the first to be discovered. I had a feeling that you had more magic in you then you thought, hence why I told you to control your temper. Although, you should be very proud Draco; not only can you do magic even I myself, cannot do, but you saved a lot of lives by doing it." Aquila exclaimed with a smile. "Come now. The water is rising and we must get to a boat."

He nodded his head because he couldn't say anything at the moment. He was still too speechless at what he had done, what he could do. However, Draco noticed that Hermione was shivering, so he took his jacket off and put it on her to keep her warm.

The ship started to tilt and the trio could feel it as they leaned to the left. The ship was sinking faster. Draco grabbed Hermione's hand in his and followed Aquila a second set of stairs. Just as Hermione was about to step on up on the first step, a tidal wave of water came bursting through a set of double doors. He quickly pushed her up the stairs but was not quick enough himself, to get out of the way.

The water rushed at him quickly, knocking his feet out from under him as it carried him down the hallway. He heard the two women scream for him but he couldn't respond. He couldn't breathe as he tried to straighten himself to reach his head above the water, but the current was too strong and kept pulling him back down; thrashing him into anything and everything it could. He saw another stairwell up a head when the water threw him up for a brief second, so he reached out and grabbed onto the railing as hard as he could. The water still pushed against him roughly but he let out a yell and used all his strength to fight it, as he pulled himself up the stairs.

He looked back at the river of salt water, now soaking wet with a gash on his head and thanked whatever God was listening for letting him survive that. There was no going back the way he came so he turned around and continued up the stairs. He had to find a way back to Hermione.

' _He had hoped Aquila pulled her away and was taking her to the upper deck to a boat. But if he knew Hermione, he knew she wouldn't go lightly. Still, he had to get to the upper deck, the ship was sinking too fast and he had to make sure Hermione got out of this alive...Even if that meant, he didn't.'_

'


	23. Chapter 23- To Drown Alone

**Song choice (you know where)- Near My God To Thee.**

Chapter 23- To Drown Alone

Monday April 15th, 1912 **01:45am**

Aquila pulled Hermione back away from the rushing water. Draco had just been swept away and she was scared; they both were. She couldn't see him anymore; she didn't know whether he was dead or alive. She screamed out his name but he didn't reply. She was crying now and Aquila kept pulling her back.

"We have to get to a boat Hermione! He'll be fine. He is a strong lad and will make it through, but we won't, if we don't go now!" Aquila shouted over the loud noise of the water rushing by.

Hermione couldn't speak. She waited for Draco to pop up around the corner but he didn't. Aquila tugged her hard, to get her to follow but she stood her ground. She didn't want to move. She needed to see him; she needed to make sure he was okay.

 _'She can't leave without him.'_

"No! I can't leave him! DRACO!" She yelled out, pulling her arm out of Aquila's grip.

She started sobbing again. She was defeated. She needed him.

"Please… Please come back." She whispered through her tears that slowly slid down her cheeks.

Aquila quickly pulled her into a hug and squeezed tight. She let out a loud sob into the woman's garments but Aquila didn't seem to care. She hugged her tighter before pulling back and cupped a hand on Hermione's face and looked her dead in the eyes.

"He will be okay, I promise you. Malfoy's won't let a little water beat them down." she spoke calmly "We need to go, okay? He would want you to survive this."

Hermione nodded her head and quickly wiped away her tears still not wanting to leave, but knew she had no choice. Aquila grabbed her hand and led her out of the stairwell. Once they made it to the upper deck, about fifteen minutes later, they noticed it was in chaos. People were screaming and running around trying to find a way off the ship.

There were a few boats left on the port side, about a third of the way from the stern of the ship, close to the Bridge Deck. The water had not made it yet to one of the life boats but it was getting closer and closer. Aquila rushed past a bunch of people to get to it. She looked at the officers guarding it from people trying to swarm it and ran to one of the men. Hermione couldn't hear what she was saying, but the man nodded and waved his hand to tell her to come.

Aquila ran back to Hermione and grabbed her hand.

"They have some open spots. Come on let's go." She announced.

She started pulling her in the direction of the boat. She stepped in and turned around; reaching back to help Hermione in. Suddenly Robert came running up.

"Hermione! Aquila! Thank God you are both okay." He shouted over the noise of the people as he hugged Hermione tightly.

"Robert!" Hermione yelled out, hugging him back. "Where is Dimitra? Is she okay?"

"She is fine! She was place in a boat!...I need to get to her Hermione! I…I can't have her be alone! Please… Help me get back to her! "He admitted loudly with a distraught face.

Hermione nodded her head and turned back to Aquila. She nodded her head in understanding and reached her hand out to Robert. He quickly brushed past the officers who were distracted by the crowd. The officers apparently no longer cared about the woman and children first rule, as the life boat held numerous men in it, all jammed together; including, one Mr. Ismay.

There was only room for one after Robert got in. Once he was settled next to Molly Brown, Aquila turned back to Hermione and reached out her hand again. Hermione stood there staring at it; contemplating getting in.

 _'She couldn't leave Draco. If she got in now then there wouldn't be room for him. He would be stuck on the sinking ship…left to die.'_

"I'm sorry." She began calmly, looking at Aquila's sad confused face. "I can't leave him."

 **01:45pm**

Draco climbed the stairs as fast as he could. He had made it to the First class dining room through the kitchen and started running through the room but halted to a stop, when he reached the Grand Staircase. He spotted Mr. Andrews at the top if the stairs staring at the grand clock on the wall. He slowly began walking up the stairs to meet the man.

"Mr. Andrews?" he questioned. "Mr. Andrews what are you doing? Come on, we have to go."

Draco began to tug on the man's arm but he wouldn't move. Draco looked around at his face and saw how broken he was.

 _'It must be hard to be an architect and watch as the thing you built, gets destroyed right in front of you. He couldn't imagine the pain Mr. Andrew's was feeling. It must have felt like losing a child.'_

"I thought I had built a good ship." Andrews began softly, still looking at the clock. He slowly turned his head and looked at Draco. "I am sorry I didn't build you and your wife a stronger ship, Draco."

"What? Mr. Andrews, this isn't your fault. No one could have predicted this to happen. Won't you at least try for it?" Draco spoke calmly.

"I built her Draco;" He looked back to the clock. "She is…was, my creation. I thought of her, I sketched her, and I crafted her…she was my dream. Every drop of my blood, sweat, and tears went into making her…I thought I had made the perfect ship…I was so proud of her." He let out a light chuckle as he looked down at the glass of brandy in his hand. "Titanic; The Ship of Dreams, they called her…I guess they were wrong."

"Mr. Andrews, we need to go. Come on." Draco claimed as he began to tug on the man's arm again to have him follow.

"No son…She is mine…and I am prepared to do what is right." Andrews looked up at Draco with the saddest eyes he had ever seen on a man; at least not since he caught his father crying in his study all those years ago. "Don't let her die here Draco. Get Hermione to a boat…Give her a chance to live."

Draco didn't know what to say so he nodded his head in understanding, knowing he wasn't going to follow him and slowly back away from the broken man, who had now turned back to the clock. He refused to take his eyes off the architect as he started to make his way down the stairs. After the first few steps, he turned around and ran the rest of the way down. He kept running and didn't stop until he made it to the upper deck.

Looking around he saw a boat and Aquila helping Robert into it. He spotted Hermione and rushed towards her just in time to hear her speak to Aquila.

"I'm sorry…I can't leave him."

His heart ached at her words but he felt proud that someone cared about him enough to want to risk their life for him. Although, he couldn't have her stay behind with him, he wouldn't let her experience the disaster first hand.

"Get in the boat Granger." He demanded firmly standing behind her.

She turned around slowly and her eyes widen when she saw him. She jumped on him and squeezed him tightly. He wrapped his arms around her and picked her up; spinning her around.

"You're alive! Oh thank Godric, Draco, you're alive!" she cried out in excitement. She began kissing him all over his face as he set her back down.

He grabbed her head in his hands and landed a passionate kiss on her lips. Pulling back after a few moments of joy, he looked at her than looked at the life boat. He noticed there was only room for one left. He looked back at her with saddened eyes.

"Get in the boat Hermione." He spoke calmly.

He saw Aquila from the corner of his eye, look at them with a fallen face. He knew, that she knew, this was goodbye.

"No! No, I won't leave you!" Hermione shouted.

A loud scream could be heard from the front of the ship and everyone's eyes snapped in that direction. One of the lifeboats ropes was stuck on the davits and the water started rushing it. Men were trying to cut the rope as quickly as possible but the thing flipped over as a wave of water pushed against it. Suddenly at the other end not far from where they stood, Mr. Murdoch and a few other crewmen were trying to push back a group of people swarming an already full lifeboat. A gun shot went off and everyone ducked momentarily for cover.

Draco watched as Mr. Murdoch stood frozen in place, looking down at the body of a man bleeding out on the deck. He looked up at the crowd in shock before looking back at his fellow men. He walked to the edge of the ship and turned around so his back was to the water. He lifted the pistol in his hand and rested the barrel on his temple. One of the crewmen reached out and yelled 'No Will' but was too late. Mr. William Murdoch pulled the trigger. Women screamed in fear as the shot rang out and his body fell into the ocean below.

The chaos was too much for Draco to bear. He turned back to Hermione and grabbed her face in his hands.

"Get in the boat Hermione or I will place you there myself…I'll be okay, okay? I am a Malfoy, remember? I'll survive this, but I won't if you aren't safe…Please Hermione, get in the boat." He reassured her with sadness in his voice.

"Please don't do this Draco!" she pleaded "We can do this, together. I-"

"Granger, if you don't get in that boat now, I am going to pick you up and put you there." he stated firmly.

"No! I won't." She replied as she backed away from him slightly and sliced a hand through the air.

He picked her up and threw her over his shoulder. She shouted at him and kicked her feet but he was strong and held her tightly. He set her down in the life boat and she quickly tried to get back off. Robert and Aquila grabbed her to keep her there as an officer yelled out.

"LOWER AWAY!"

The life boat began descending with a jerk and Draco watched as the love of his life slowly got further and further away from him; fighting and screaming to return to him. He felt his eyes begin to water but he wouldn't let it show. He couldn't let her see. He had to stay strong for her. He leaned over the ships wall to watch her as she was lowered away. The noise in the background was faint now as his focus was all on the Gryffindor Princess. His girl, his love…his life.

Once the life boat touched the water and started to paddle away, the noise started to return as the last distress rocket was fired. The band that was on the upper deck started playing a sad song Draco didn't recognize, but it was fitting for how he felt. His eyes never left her as he watched the boat float away.

It was the hardest thing he had ever had do in his entire life. Watching her leave was harder than trying to kill Dumbledore, it was more painful than the Sectumsempra curse he endured in sixth year, and it was more heartbreaking than when she said she hated him a few days ago. He felt his lungs constrict in his chest. He couldn't breathe without her, but he no longer had a choice.

 _'He had to try to make it…for her.'_

 **02:05am Aquila's POV**

Hermione screamed out for Draco as the last life boat on the ship was lowered. She cried and she fought but Robert and a few other men held her back. Aquila sat crying in her seat as she watched Hermione break into a million pieces in front of her. Her heart had stopped beating as she watched the emotion breakdown.

 _'She couldn't imagine the heart break the poor girl was enduring, but it was for her own good. That didn't mean it hurt any less though, to watch as the love of your life is left to fend for himself.'_

Their eyes never left each other at the boat touched the water and the men began to paddle away. Aquila saw the broken girl's tears as they fell out of her copper eyes and down her cream skin. Robert had let his hold on her go slightly once she stopped fighting him. Her back was to his chest but he didn't dare let her go. He hugged the muggle-born in his arms; rocking back and forth to try and calm the distressed child. Aquila reached out her arms for Robert to pass her off but he shook his head no and continued to rock her slowly.

From the distance they were at now they could see the ship's bow completely submerged in the ocean. The ship gradually got steeper as she sunk and Aquila couldn't block out the sounds of the screaming people. She saw many, jump from the ship to try and escape it. The sight was truly remarkable but utterly heartbreaking. She took in a deep breath and grabbed Hermione's hand as she watched the event unfold before her. She knew this was a scene that would haunt her for the rest of her life, but she couldn't look away. She had to remember ever detail of the night. She had to make sure the world knew what happened when it was all over.

 **02:17am**

Draco turned around and watched for a minute as people of all classes ran by him to the back of the ship. He let go of the wall and started making his way to the stern as well. He took a glance to left and saw the Captain huddled around a group of crewmen. He stopped for a moment to hear what he was saying.

"It has been a pleasure serving with you gentlemen. However, I must say now; every man for himself... Good luck and God bless." Captain Smith announced before bowing his head and made his way to the Bridge Deck. He locked himself in the room as the water rose halfway against the glass windows.

 _'He's…he's going down with the ship…just like Mr. Andrews. The amount of bravery those two men had, was remarkable. He didn't think he would ever be man enough to voluntarily go down with the ship…Then again, he had done just that when he let Hermione leave without him.'_

Draco turned quickly on his heels and started running to the back of the ship. Titanic was getting steeper now and it was getting harder to hold himself up. He grabbed on the railing to help him up, as people started sliding down past him. He saw a man slip and fall so he reached out his hand and grabbed him as she slid by, almost ripping his hold on the railing.

The man looked up and grabbed on to Draco with both hands. He realized then that it was Cygnus Malfoy. His great ancestor held on to Draco for dear life as the ship rose out of the water. Titanic let out a large groan as the lights flickered.

 _"The ship was dying…and everyone around could hear her call out.'_

Draco gripped the railing tighter and he tried to pull Cygnus up to his level but the steepness of the ship, was making it harder. Suddenly, Titanic let out another load grown as the wood of the deck started to split. The weight of the stern in the air was too much pressure for her to hold up and she was breaking. The wood split right where Cygnus lay and the lights went out. Both faces of the men turned to terror in the realization of what was about to happen.

Cygnus's lower body fell into the crack that was letting out electrical sparks. Draco tried his best to hold on to him, but he was slipping and the unexpected tug, jerked his arm hard; causing pain to shoot into his shoulder. He re positioned his grip on the railing and tried to pull the man back up, fighting through the pain, but he was still slipping. The fear in his ancestor's eyes was one he never wished to see. Cygnus knew he was about to die. And there wasn't anything either one of them could do about it.

Cygnus Malfoy finally slipped past the point of no returned as his gripped fell through Draco's fingers. Draco called out as he fell through the crack, but he didn't have time to think about it what just happened. The ship let out an explosive noise as Titanic's stern snapped in half; breaking away from the bow, and started falling back to the ocean below. He reached up and grabbed a hold of the railing with both hands and fell down with the ship.

 **02:20am**

Hermione watched in horror from Robert's arms, as Titanic rose from the water. The great ship was at about a twenty-three degree angle and just kept getting steeper. Wires holding one of the smokestacks in place began to snap off, whipping people in the water; killing them instantly. Before she knew it, the smokestack began to fall. She saw little specks of people try to swim out of the way but they were too late. It landed hard on top of them and she couldn't help but let out a gasp of sorrow as she covered her mouth with her hand.

She heard the ship let out a long groan and people began to scream in terror as the lights flickered, but Hermione was far from listening to them. Her only thought rested on where Draco was and if he was going to make it.

She didn't have time to think about it any longer as the ship let out a very loud cry; her final cry. Titanic was dying and no one, was able to help her.

Hermione let out a scream and broke away from Robert so she could lean closer to the edge of the life boat. The hull of ship failed and began to crack as stress from the weight of the stern, reached its peak. The lights went out and the back half crashed into the water with such force it rolled to port, dropping another smokestack, and creating a large wave that form on either side of the huge ship. She bobbed up and down a few times before beginning to fill with water and rise back up.

 **02:23am**

Draco held on with all his strength as Titanic began to rise up out of the water. People were screaming and sliding past him so fast, he couldn't grab anyone. He realized what was about to happen when he saw people start climbing over the railing above him, to get to the other side. He quickly pulled himself up and started making his way over the railing. The stern of the ship rose in the air faster, giving Draco the perfect angle to start climbing up to the top, like a ladder. He climbed as fast as he could, almost reaching the end, but all of a sudden; everything got quite and he stopped moving.

Titanic was now at a ninety degree angle. Standing vertically upright, motionless, she held her position in the water like a large iron column. He could hear everyone around him let out sobs and prayers to whatever God would listen and he watched as some people lost their grips on whatever object they were holding on to, falling straight down into the freezing water below. Some were not so lucky and hit bits of the ship and other people, taking them with them as they fell.

Draco looked away from the sight in disgust and looked up at the stern. He quickly made a decision and started climbing again. His path was blocked however, by a young Third Class woman, clinging on to the railing close to the end, looking terrified as tears streamed down her freckled face. Her features reminded him of Hermione and he suddenly wanted to protect the woman. He climbed up to her and placed his body on hers. He reached up with his right arm and grabbed the railing above her; wrapping his injured left arm around her waist just above the bottom of her lifebelt. He held on to her tightly, for her own comfort and partially for his own. He knew what was about to happen. He might have grown up in a pureblood world but he knew how things like this worked and this part, was not going to end well.

"The ship is going to sink in a few second." He began, looking down at the scared woman. "It's going to take us under with it. When I say, I want you to take a large breath and hold it. Once we are under, I need you to kick and swim with everything you have, okay? Don't stop until you reach the top, do you understand?"

She nodded her head and looked down below. The ship quickly filled with water and began to lower straight down into the sea. Draco held on to the woman tight and prayed to Salazar in his head, that his death would be quick. They were now about ten feet above the surface of the water so he yelled out to the woman 'now'. They both took giant breaths as Titanic sank from under them, dragging them down into the watery grave below, with her.


	24. Chapter 24- Come Back To Me

_" **Afterward, the seven hundred people in the boats had nothing to do but wait: wait to die, wait to live, wait for an absolution which would never come."**_

 _ **-Old Rose (Titanic-1997)**_

Chapter 24- Come Back To Me

Monday April 15th, 1912 **02:29am**

Draco kicked as hard as he could as he tried to swim against the suction of the ship. His body twisted and turned and he no longer knew which way was up. He kept kicking though as he held the hand of the women he swore to protect. But his grip was too weak and the suction too strong. The women's hand broke from his grasp as she was pulled into the depth of the ocean with the ship. He didn't have time to mourn her however, his lung felt like they were going to explode; he couldn't breath and the ship was still pulling at him. He swam with everything he had left. Finally, reaching the surface, he took in a large breathe. People around him where frantic, calling out for the boats to come back and he didn't blame them in the slightest. The water was painfully cold there was nothing, no one, willing to save them.

He had to get away from the crowd so he began to swim in the direction of the life boats; hoping that at least one would come back.

 _'If he was far enough away from the crowd then it was less likely that a boat would be swarmed and he could be saved.'_

However the likelihood was slim and the crowd began to drift making it harder for him to get away. He was tired and his left arm was killing him. He didn't have his life vest on so the strength he needed to stay afloat was becoming more and more difficult.

Someone had grabbed onto him and pushed him under water. Fighting and kicking he managed to surface but was instantly pushed back under again. He thought he was done for. He couldn't swim away and he couldn't fight the person drowning him. He kept kicking to resurface but the person had a tight grip on him. He was starting to give up. His lungs were about to burst and he started blacking out but once they realized though, that the body they were trying to use as a floatation device was not going to save them, they let go and swam off. Draco quickly snapped out of his blackened daze and swam as hard as he could to the surface, taking in as much air as he could muster.

He found a French door floating a few feet away from him so he swam to it and rested his arms on it for a moment, to catch his breath. He was tired, drained, and in pain. The water was so cold; it felt like a thousand knives stabbing him all over. He knew that he needed to get out.

He though back to the night of his and Hermione's date, when they dipped their feet into the freezing water. That temperature was nothing compared to what he was feeling now. He suddenly remembered Hermione joke about not keeping her feet in the water for long because she didn't want to get hypothermia. Knowing it was serious, he quickly tried to put himself on top of the door.

It almost flipped on top of him the first time he tried, but the second time, he was successful. He laid himself back on the door and let out a deep breath. He was about to grab his wand and cast a warming spell but suddenly realized, his wand was in his jacket.

 _'He put his jacket on Hermione before being swept away in the corridor. How could he be so stupid as to not take his wand out first?'_

He was shivering now as the people around him screamed out and grabbed onto whatever floating debris they could. But there was nothing he could do. So he just laid there soaking wet and blistering cold.

 **02:23am**

Hermione looked on in absolute shock as Titanic began her final descent to her grave. The exact scene that played out in front of her, was so much like the nightmare she had had before they boarding the doomed ship, except that it was Draco experiencing it, not her. He was still on there and she knew of the power of the suction a ship that size could create. He would drown alone and she couldn't help him.

 _'Even if he did however, survive the force of the pull, he could still freeze to death.'_

Hundreds of people cried out in pain and fear as they splashed around the water. The scene of everyone dying was unreal and the sound, unbearable. It was only a matter of time before everyone froze to death.

"We have to go back!" she shouted to the crewmen in charge of rowing the boat.

"Are you mad! They will swamp us!" one of the men claimed.

"She is right!" Molly chimed in standing up "We can't just leave them out there to die."

"Do you want to die too?" the same man shouted "Because that is exactly what will happen if we go back now! They will swamp the boat and we will be in the same position as them! So shut your bloody trap and sit back down!" he demanded.

Molly sat back slowly with a scared look and reached out to hold Hermione's hand in comfort. But Hermione wasn't satisfied. She knew Draco was out there and she needed to find him.

"No! We have to go back!" she cried out in panic and anger. She turned towards Aquila and looked at her with pleading eyes. "We have to go back…we have to save him...I…I can't live without him."

A tear escaped her eye as she pleaded her case the woman she had grown to care deeply for. Aquila took her hand and pulled her into a hug. Hermione wept onto the blanket that was wrapped around Aquila. She wept for the people who died, the people dying now, for herself, and most importantly she wept for Draco Malfoy.

 **02:46am**

It was getting quit now. The people surrounding Draco where starting to expire from the numbing icy water. They were freezing to death and he knew it was only a matter of time before he too, succumbed to the piercing cold. His wet hair was starting the gain icicles and his head started to stick slightly to the door, but he tried to push through. He stared up into the night sky, studying stars above him to distract him from the cold; waiting until his final moment came.

 _'He never told her he loved her again…instead he threw her into a boat…His last memory of her…will be watching her fight…for him…and he didn't even tell her…he loved her…one…last…time.'_

His eyelids began to get heavy and he could feel the life being sucked right out of him. A brief light shone on his face and he realized a boat had come back. He tried to sit up but he couldn't. He tried to call out but his voice was dry and cracked; no one could hear him. He thought back to when he broke the gate down on the ship and remembered that Aquila had told him it was due to powerful emotional magic. He figured dying was as emotional as one could get, so he slowly and painfully raised his left hand into the air. He concentrated as hard as he could on one thing and one thing alone. Hermione.

A bright white light burst out the palm of his hand shooting a large eagle into the air. The boat must have seen it because he heard a man call out and a light flashed in his direction.

"COME A BOAT!"

That was the last thing Draco heard before shutting his eyes as his mind went numb. His breath got shallower as he fell into a deep slumber and stopped breathing all together.

 **02:43am**

Everything was quite. There was no more screaming, no more splashing, people where dying and she couldn't save them. The silence cut through the frigid air like glass. She could see her breath in front of her, penetrating the windless air around her.

Two lifeboats had rowed over to them with very few people inside and Hermione couldn't help but question why there were so few in a boat that could hold the weight of seventy men.

 _'So many people died because they never filled all the lifeboats? That one there only had about fifteen people, and that one, had six. Six! They could have saved more people…why didn't they save more?'_

"Right, men! We are going to transfer people from this boat to that one. Make it quick. I want to go back and save as many as we can." A man called out as leaned over to grab onto the lifeboat, pulling them together.

Hermione's head snapped up and she quickly stood on her feet.

"I am going with you!" she announced in determination.

"No ma'am you stay here. That area is no place-"

"For what? A woman?" she interrupted in anger, scruffing the man up by his lapel "I think we are past that now! I am coming with you whether you like it or not, is that understood? I have been told I throw a mean punch and I am sure you would not like to bear witness the receiving end of one. You WILL let me in this boat, and you will do it NOW!"

The man looked at her in fear and he put his hands up in the air in defeat. She released his uniform and stepped into the lifeboat. After everyone was transferred over to the other boats, she was left with two crewman, two Second Class men, and Aquila who had also forced her way onto the boat.

The men rowed the boat extremely slowly into the graveyard of floating bodies, being careful not to hit any with their ores. They passed a frozen woman holding a baby in her arms and Hermione let out a small cry as she covered her mouth with her hand.

"We were too late." One of the men stated in a sad tone.

Hermione's heart broke as she looked in the mass of dead bodies. She leaned over the side of the life boat to get a better view of the faces of the people who perished and almost lost all hope of finding Draco; let alone finding him alive. Everyone looked the same in the dark ocean; their bodies frozen, glacial, pale…gone. Suddenly a bright white eagle shot up in the sky and everyone looked in that direction. One of the men called out and started rowing over. Hermione began to panic when a lifeless blonde came into view on a floating door.

"There! Right there!" She pointed in the direction a few feet in front of them.

"He's gone Miss. We can't save him."

"Either you grab him and pull him in or I will jump in after him!" she stood up quickly and began to take off the jacket she was wearing. She instantly realized it was Draco's. She patted it down and felt his wand in her inside left breast pocket. She panicked again and fully removed the garment from her arms, ready to jump in.

"Hold it!" one of the crew men yelled.

He put an arm out to stop her before removing it slowly, turned around and reached out for Draco. Aquila pulled Hermione down to sit next to her as the four men grabbed the Slytherin and carefully pulled him into the lifeboat. They laid him down on the one of the benches and Hermione got up, rushing to kneel beside him.

He was so cold and he wasn't breathing. She quickly opened her handbag and pulled out her wand. She produced a silent warming charm and a silent drying spell secretly on his clothes, not really caring if the men around her saw; but he still didn't move. She shook him and cried out for him and still, nothing. Thinking quickly, she tilted his head back, pinched his nose, and put her lips on his. Letting out a deep breath; pushing oxygen into his lungs to help him breathe. She did it a few more times but he still wouldn't open his beautiful grey eyes, he wouldn't breath, and his heart, wouldn't beat. She let out a painful cry in agony and lowered her head to his chest.

"Please." She sobbed. "Please don't leave me…come back to me Draco…please…you…you can't just leave me like this."

She felt Aquila touch her shoulder in a sad comfort but it didn't do anything for her. She let out another sob as she lifted her head and caressed his cheek softly with the back of her knuckles, her other hand placed on top of his head and she rubbed his icy blonde hair. The men watched in mourning, as she tried to wake her sleeping prince. They let out soft cries of their own because they knew; there was nothing they could do to help the grieving woman in front of them.

"Please Draco…please don't leave me." She begged through her tears. "I love you…please wake up…Draco, I need you."

She bowed her head in defeat and sat back but never removed her hands from his body. She let out a loud cry as she began to weep uncontrollably onto his dangling arm.

"It…only took…a bloody ship sinking…for you to finally…admit you love me." Draco uttered as he shivered from the cold.

Hermione's head snapped up so quickly it would have given anyone else whiplash.

"Draco!" She yelled out as she rushed into him.

"Ugh woman…I was just brought back…from the…dead…Not so hard." He joked through his broken breath.

She didn't care. She kissed him all over his face in happiness before he reached an arm around and pulled her into a deep kiss. The people in the boat rejoiced in sobs as the two love bird reconnected. The kiss lasted for what seemed like forever to her and she couldn't have been happier.

"I thought I lost you!" she announced as she pulled back to look at him.

"You are going…to have to try…a lot harder than…talking in your…sleep…to get rid…of me." He smirked up at her.

She let out a chuckle before kissing him again. He pushed her back some after a few seconds and looked at her with all seriousness.

"Say…it again…I need to hear…you say it again."

She let out another soft chuckle and grabbed his face in her hands.

"Draco Malfoy, I love you." she smiled widely at him.

A big grin crossed his face and he pulled her down into another kiss.

 **04:05am**

Draco looked at the sleeping woman that lay next to him on the floor of the lifeboat and smiled. They had both survived the tortuous night and she had rescued him from the brink of death. He owed her everything and he vowed he would give her everything she deserved.

The life boat had managed to save seven more people from the bitter cold water. Seven, out of fifteen hundred.

He pulled the blanket up more with his injured left arm to cover her and looked up to the sky. He saw Aquila smile fondly at him from the corner of his eye and turned his head to look at her.

"Thank you…for taking care of her." he stated softly.

"You are both my family Draco. I would do anything for you." she replied kindly.

"Aquila?"

"Yes dear?"

"I…I am sorry about Cygnus…I tried to save him, I really did but-"

"Shh, little one." She began with a smile and grabbed his left hand. Although, Draco could see the tears begin to form in her crystal clear blue eyes. "I know you did everything you could. I don't blame you dear and I never will. You do not let his death haunt you, do you hear me? Do not let it. It would have happened regardless if you were there or not."

Draco nodded his head in agreement and looked back up at the sky still not letting go of the woman's hand; but even through her forgiveness, he could not get the image out of his head.

 _'What if he could have saved him? Would the present be worth changing if he had lived? He would never know now, but he would find out when they got back, if he came from Cygnus's line or not. He really hoped with everything he had, that he came from his brothers.'_

One of the crew men in the boat quickly stood up and pointed.

"A ship! The Carpathia! It arrived, we are saved!" he shouted in glee.

Draco didn't have the strength to lift his head to look so instead he hugged Hermione tighter in his arm and smiled.

 _'They had lived.'_

 **05:15am**

Hermione paced the length of the room in front of Draco as he sat on a steel table. A nurse on the Carpathia was looking him over and checking his vitals.

"Well it looks like it is just a minor sprain in your shoulder. I'll place your arm in a sling and you should be good as new in a few days, as long as you don't do anything stressful with that arm. The cut on your forehead is superficial and will only need a small bandage. I will grab some supplies to clean it up but all in all; you should be fine. You are very lucky sir that you were pulled from the water in time. Any longer and your organs would have begun to shut down, pass the point of revival." The nurse let of a wide smile before walking out of the small room to grab some supplies.

"You can stop pacing now Hermione. I'm okay. I told you I would be okay little cub." Draco claimed as he watched her pace back and forth.

"You almost died Draco! I…I almost lost you! To watch the ship sink like that I coul-It was torture! You threw me on the lifeboat without a care as to how I felt!...I almost lost you." She began to sob.

"Come here little one."

He reached out his good arm and she walked into him to let him hold her. He kissed the top of her head and let out a deep sigh.

"I am sorry love. I really am, but I couldn't risk you not making it. I couldn't let you be on the ship as it sunk."

She pulled back from him slightly.

"That wasn't your choice to make!" she cried out in frustration.

"But it was…don't you see Hermione?" He cupped her face with his good hand. "I love you and it's because I love you that you had to survive. I made a choice and I don't regret it a second of it and it is because of that choice, we both survived…We, get to go home."

 _'He was right. If it wasn't for his actions, both of them would have died. He would have done everything he could to save her and not have worried about himself. If he had died that way, then it would have been her fault because she was too stubborn to leave him.'_

"I love you Draco." She whispered with a bowed head.

"I love you more little cub."

Just then the nurse entered the room and politely asked her to step away so he could bandage Draco's cut. He winked at her before turning his concentration to the task the nurse was preforming. Once she was finished the couple walked up to the deck of the ship and looked around.

The Carpathia wasn't as large or as grand as the Titanic was. But she was still as fierce. The crew and passengers on board had given up their rooms for survivors. They cooked them meals and tended to the injured with love and care. Blankets and warm soup was handed out to everyone as some officers went around collecting names of survivors.

Hermione looked at the mass of people around her. They were all crying and huddling in groups for comfort and warmth.

 _'Everyone on this ship had lost someone; one way or the other. It was the aftermath of Battle of Hogwarts, all over again.'_

The couple walked around, avoiding the officers asking for names like the plague. They still could not risk anyone knowing they were on the ship. She spotted Dimitra cuddled against Robert near the railing overlooking the vast ocean, with their backs to her. She watched them for a moment with sadness before turning to Draco with broken eyes.

He nodded his head in understanding as he let her go. Hermione slowly walked towards the couple sitting on the ground and contemplated her next move. She looked around at the people to make sure no one was paying attention to her, before pulling her wand out from her handbag.

Tears fought to stream down her face as she tried to hold back her emotions. She hesitated for a brief moment then taking in a deep breath she pointed her wand at the couple.

"I am going to miss you both…so much." She whispers aloud as a single tear escaped her caramel brown eye.

"Obliviate." She slowly turned her wrist as she pulled and altered the memories of her and Draco from the couples mind.

She lowered her wand and stood frozen in place for a good while; staring at the couple who no longer knew who she was. She felt Draco place a hand on her shoulder and squeezed lightly.

"You did what was right, Hermione. I am so proud of you." he expressed before kissing the top of her head and led her away from Dimitra Black and Robert Hoarse, forever.

A few minutes later the spotted Aquila sitting alone on a wooden crate crying into her hands. Hermione quickly walked up the woman and knelt down.

"Aquila? Aquila it's okay, I'm here. It's okay." She began before grabbing the woman and pulling her into a large hug.

Aquila sobbed hard into Hermione's shoulder. She didn't know what else to do or to say so she rubbed her back and let her cry it all out. Aquila cried for a good five minutes before pulling back and looked at Hermione. Her face was swollen and red, her mascara was running down her cheeks but she didn't seem to care. Draco had knelt down next to her and pulled the edge of the blanket she was wearing, up to her face to softly wipe away the mess. Hermione once again pulled out her wand but felt Aquila's soft cold hand lightly touch her hers.

"Please…please don't obliviate me. I know that is what you did to Dimitra…but, I want to keep the memory of you both. You have my word I won't tell a soul about you. Please? You both are all I have left in this world…I want to remember you." Aquila pleaded.

Hermione looked at Draco with sadness before placing her wand back into her bag. Aquila let off a small sad smile before standing up to hug the couple.

"This is goodbye my loves." She began as she hugged them both tightly. She released her hold but looked at them with seriousness. Almost as if she was studying them. "There is something I must do when I get back to England but I want you two to promise me…Promise me that you won't forget me, okay? No matter what happens…Please remember me?" she begged.

"We promise." Draco announced in sorrow.

Aquila cupped their cheeks in her hands and left a single kiss on each of their foreheads, before turning on her heels and walked away; leaving the couple behind to ponder just what she meant, by her ominous plea.


	25. Chapter 25- New York, NY

**75% of this chapter is smut…ENJOY!**

Chapter 25- New York, NY

 **Thursday, April 18** **th** **, 1912 09:30pm**

Draco stood on the deck of the Carpathia as it pulled into New York. The three day journey was difficult as the ship encountered fog, ice, rough seas, and thunderstorms, but they finally made it. It was now rainy and it was cold, but it was nothing compared to the icy waters of the Atlantic, as Titanic sank from under him. He leaned over and rested his arms on the rail. He looked out to the calm sea and watched as the Statue of Liberty came into view.

 _'He had never been to America before, although he had always wanted to. Never in his life, did he think that he would feel this happy to be in another country. It wasn't even because it was the United States that made him elated. It was the fact that he was finally going to be on land. He never wanted to be on another ship again; not after what he experienced. However he would make sure that once they were home, a law was passed that made sure proper procedures were in place and there was always more than enough life boats…for everyone on board. He never wanted to see or hear of another repeat of Titanic, ever again.'_

Hermione had walked up to him and lightly touched his arm, interrupting his thoughts. He turned to her and smiled. She was holding a black umbrella over her gorgeous brown curly hair. Her dress was light blue with white shash that wrapped around her torso and Draco never thought that she looked more beautiful than she did now.

 _'If there was one thing Titanic taught him, it was to never take life or anyone for granite. He had always looked down on those he thought was beneath him, including Hermione. He even criticized his father for the charity events he held, but now…now he understood. He would treat everyone, including muggle-borns, with the highest honor. The deserved just as much right to be in the wizarding community as anyone. He now saw the world at a completely different angle…he felt, almost free.'_

Remember the quote Hermione said to him in the bathroom on the second day stuck in the past, he let out a small chuckle.

 _'Hermione's words never rang more true.'_

"What? What's so funny?" She asked confused as she looked up at him.

"Let go of the past, but keep the lessons it taught you." He replied with a smile.

"You…you remember?" she asked somewhat shocked.

"I will never forget."

He took the umbrella from her and placed it over the both of them. They stared out to the ocean and watched in silence as the Carpathia passed by the giant Statue of Liberty. The Statue, that stood for freedom.

XXXX

Carpathia pulled into White Star Line pier to drop off Titanic's lifeboats before sailing onward, with the help of small boats, to Cunard pier where passengers aboard began to disembark. About forty thousand people were standing on the dock when Carpathia arrived. Draco could see the people's heartbroken faces as some realized their loved ones were not getting off to greet them.

Most of the survivors were taken to hospitals to be treated for their injuries that could not be taken care of on board, while others like himself and Hermione were sent to hotels or their home towns to stay with family. Draco looked around the crowded dock and noticed a large group of third class passengers looking around with sulking faces.

"They have nowhere to go." Hermione expressed sadly. "They are in a new country, without a penny to their name. They are homeless and broke."

Draco squeezed her arm tightly, knowing there was nothing he could do to help the lower class citizens. If it wouldn't change the timeline, he would have given them all the money he had on him, but he couldn't.

After a few hours of crewmen, police, and city officials getting things situated, Draco led Hermione down the street to the hotel they were placed in. It wasn't the best but it was at least better than the one they stayed at in Southampton. She walked over to the bed and sat down letting out a sigh; kicking off her heels as he closed the bedroom door. The room was all white with red accents and red sheets on the bed. There was a small fireplace to the left of the queen size bed, along with a small table with two chairs for tea. He walked over to the fireplace and lit it with his wand. He stared at the dancing flames as the memory of Titanic flashed before his eyes.

"So we are going to go to the Ministry in the morning and get an international port key. By this time tomorrow we should, hopefully, be back in our own time." She began as she leaned back on her elbows.

"Yeah…sounds good." He replied still thinking about the doomed ship.

They were both silent for a while, not really knowing what else to say to each other. They didn't have the sinking ship to prepare for anymore, nor did they have to make plans to steal the stones and they already knew everything about the stones. So they both stayed were they were, not talking; just reliving the horrid nightmare that changed their live, forever.

"How did you do it?" Hermione asked finally breaking the silence.

He turned slightly to face her not understand what she was asking but his eyes never left the growing fire.

"Do what?" He asked confused.

"Produce a wandless Patronus?" She questioned. "I had your wand in the jacket you put on me. Did you even know your Patronus was an eagle?"

He let out a sigh.

"To be honest, no. I didn't even know I could produce a Patronus. Death eaters aren't supposed to be able to create them. They have no happy memories." He responded calmly.

"Snape could…his was a doe." She stated nonchalantly "He sent it to Harry before the battle to help him find the Sword of Gryffindor. You have happy memories Draco. You just have to dig around to find the right one…May I ask, what you thought of?"

Draco took a minute to think over her question before replying.

"You." He admitted after a deep exhale. "I thought of you…Just your face though, your smile, your laugh." He took a deep breath in. "So, I raised my hand and out burst an eagle. I didn't think it would work. I didn't say a word…I don't even know the incantation to produce one. I just knew I was dying and that a boat was coming…I just wanted to see you again." He finished still staring at the fire.

He heard her stand up from the bed and walked over to him. She placed a hand on his shoulder and turned him around to face her.

"You produced an emotional spell Draco, just like the time you broke the gate. It's practically impossible to create a Patronus without an incantation and more importantly, without a wand, but you did. Do you know what that means?"

He shook his head no, afraid his voice would crack.

"You, are so much stronger than you think you are. You feel deeper than anyone else. Every emotion you have means so much more to you. It's why you couldn't kill Dumbledore, it's why you apologize to me almost every day, and it's why you fell in love first and tried to protect me from you. Hate, anger, sorrow, happiness…love, you feel it more. That is why you can do emotional magic, it's why you are alive, right now, and its why only a vision of me and not a memory produced a Patronus." she explained as she looked at him with a smile.

"That makes me dangerous." He claimed knowing he has a fiery temper.

"That makes you, you and it makes you unique. You'll learn to control it, just like you have with normal magic. And I will be there to help you, every step of the way."

He looked at the Gryffindor in awe.

 _'She is perfect and he knew he didn't deserve her. He had one last night to be with her before they returned home and remained friends, so tonight; he was going to make the best of it. He was going to treat her like the Princess…no, the Queen, she really was.'_

He leaned down and kissed her softly on her pink supple lips. He raised a hand to her cheek and caressed her face as he continued to kiss her. She wrapped her hands around his neck, pulling him closer to her. He wanted her, all of her, and not just tonight. He wanted her for life.

Draco deepened the kiss, slipping his tongue into her open mouth. He tasted every last inch of her. He wanted to remember her; every little detail. So he pulled back, but not releasing his hands on her face and stared into her eyes.

 _'He wanted to remember the way she still smelled like vanilla and rose, even after the he reconnected with her on the lifeboat. The way she tasted like honey that dripped through his body and melted his heart. The way her skin felt as it touched his and buried itself into the very depth of his soul. The way she laughed carelessly, which reminded him of muggle angels, singing in his ears. But most importantly, he wanted to remember the way she looked with her caramel eyes and her flowing brown wavy hair; the little faint freckles that danced upon her little nose. Her lips, which were soft, like a flower petal. The way she moved, spoke, laughed, frowned, cried, and the way, she was looking at him, right now; like he was the only one in the world for her…like she loves him.'_

"I love you." he spoke softly as he searched her eyes.

She smiled up at him and he was elated to know he did that. He was the one who made her smile.

"I love you too." She whispered.

He leaned down and kissed her again. This time, with more love then he ever thought was humanly possible. He picked her up and she instinctively wrapped her legs around him. He carried her to the bed and gently set her down. He broke the kiss for a moment to look at her again and backed up some to remove his white formal shirt and unbuttoned his pants. He stood before her in just his trousers and he watched as she looked at him while she bit her lower lip. He let off a smirk and removed his shoes and socks, throwing them to the side before walking back up to her. She scooched herself up the bed more, so he had room to place his body on her. He lifted his right knee to rest on the bed as he leaned into her and kissed her again; slowly lowering her top half to lie down. Pulling back, he brushed his fingers against her hair as he caresses her skin and planted a soft delicate kiss on her forehead.

Moving his hand down her cheek with the back of his fingers he looked at her like she was the only girl in the world before leaning back in to kiss her supple lips. They both breathed in deeply as the kiss got stronger. She rested her hands on his upper back and it felt like heaven to him. Slipping his tongue in her mouth, they explored each other as his left hand moved to her breast. She sucked in a breath a broke the kiss tilting her head so he could claim her neck. He happily obliged and ran a trail a licks and kisses down her sensitive throat. He sucked a little by her collar bone leaving a bruise on her creamy porcelain skin; marking her, as his.

She gripped his hair in her hand as she let off soft moans. He couldn't take it anymore. He leaned off her slightly and reached down to pull the bottom half of her dress up. He reached under the flowing fabric and gripped on to her panties; ripping them from her body he tossed them to the floor. She let out a small cry at the shock but he just chuckled and looked back down to her.

He put his left hand back under her dress and touched her warm center. She tilted her head back and let off another soft moan as she closed her eyes. Never taking his eyes off her face, he parted the lips of her wet pussy and placed a finger inside her. Hermione gripped the back of his head tighter before looking at him and pulled him into a kiss.

He placed a second finger inside her and began to wiggle them back and forth. She bucked her hips a bit, so Draco started to thrust his fingers in and out of her at a slow and sensual pace. She breathed harder into his mouth as she faintly pulled away from his lips.

"Make love to me Draco." She whispered looking up at him.

He let off a smile and kissed her again while removing his fingers from her center. Without breaking contact he unzipped his pants, pulled his trousers down, and kicked them the rest of the way off. He lifted her dress more and climbed on top of her. Still not breaking the hold on her lips, he wrapped her legs around his hips and centered himself at her opening.

 **Thursday, April 18** **th** **, 1912 03:34am**

Hermione let out a small cry into Draco's mouth, in pleasure, as he eased himself into her. She dug into his back with her nails and he release a low growl before pulling halfway out and softly thrusted into her again. He pumped his dick into her at that exact pace a few more times, before she began to scratch at his back more. He let off another growl, releasing his kiss on her, but this time it was louder than the first. She knew he liked it a little rougher than she was used to, but she felt safe and was willing to try anything, as long as it as with him.

With that thought, Hermione dug her nails into his ribs and scratched her fingers downward, leaving red marks across the sides of his pale skin. He stopped moving his hips and growled again but quickly moved his right arm around the middle of her back and lifted her upper half off the bed, so she was now resting on his thighs. He reached his left hand up and placed it around her throat as she rocked her hips against him. T tilting her head up so he could get a better grip on her; he looked slightly up at her in lust. She knew what he wanted and she was determined to give it to him.

His hold wasn't hard but the thought of how strong he was turned her on and she wanted him to grip tighter. So she removed her right hand from his shoulder and placed it on his hand, pushing it more into her throat. He stopped moving his hips and looked on her in confusion.

"You…you want me to choke you; like, really choke you? Are you sure Hermione? I don't want to hurt you." he asked worryingly.

She nodded her head.

"Hurt me Draco." She whispered seductively in his ear before pulling back to place his lips into hers.

He kissed her for a second before breaking away.

"We'll need a safe word.. I don't want you to hate me for this, okay? I want you to know I'll stop if you are uncomfortable. "

She took a moment to think of something before looking back into his grey eyes.

"How about…Ferret?" She joked.

"Whatever you want love." He replied with a chuckle before his expression turned dark and his grip tightened around her neck.

She opened her mouth and gasped as he thrusted hard into her. The strength of his grasp turned her on more and she couldn't get enough. He pumped into her roughly a few more times before removing his hand from her throat and gripped her hair at the scalp, tightly, forcing her head back. He laid her back down and threw the pillow behind her head, off the bed with his free hand. He then reached up and choked her again. He pounded into her hard and she dug her nails into his skin. She felt a small amount of warm blood seep out of the wounds she created and she thought, for a moment, that she went too far, but he seemed pleased with the pain as he let out a deep growl; so she continued to claw at his back and sides as he thrusted his hips deeply into her.

The hard shallow thrusts pushed on her clit and his dick hit just the right spot over and over again, making her insides tingle in ecstasy. She couldn't take it anymore. The feeling was unreal and she couldn't hold back. She let out a scream as he continued pounding into her, yelling out his name as her walls clenched around him and her orgasm releasing everywhere. She saw stars and almost blacked out but quickly came to as she rode out the rest of her climax, digging her nails deeper into his skin.

The new wetness below their hips seemed to drive Draco over the edge because his grip on her hair and neck got extremely tighter. He called out her name in a deep moan and poured himself into her, releasing everything he had contained inside.

He loosened his grip on her and they both breathed heavily; staring at each other in amazement. His expression quickly changed to worry that she was scared of him now but she let out a chuckle. He looked at her in confusion for a second before a smile rested on his perfect lips. She let out a laugh and he followed along letting out small chuckles of his own before laughing with her.

"Why are we laughing?" he asked through a wide smile.

She took a breath in and raised and arm above her head. Smiling up at him she rested her other hand on his shoulder.

"Because." She sighed happily turning her head away from him. "That was the best sex, I have ever had, in my entire life!" she admitted turning her head back to look up at him.

He looked at her with a raised brow but seemed to accept her answer.

"Well, who knew were into the kinky rough sex? I would have done that, days ago if I knew you would go for it." He chuckled as he pulled himself out of her and rolled onto the side of her.

"I just found out today!" she giggled.

"Well, I am super happy, I made you squirt again." He stated proudly.

She turned her head to face him and let out a small laugh. He was staring that the ceiling with a smirk but didn't look at her, so she took the opportunity to study him.

 _'She loved him; all of him. Every quirk, every emotion, everything he did and said; she loved him. She didn't want this night to end but she knew, in a few hours, they would be back in their own time and this would never happen again. She didn't want to be the side piece in his loveless marriage but right now, she was strongly thinking about saying screw it and staying with him. It would be so hard to go back to being just friends…well; they were never really friends in the first place. They kind of skipped over that part and went from being enemies to lovers. Still it would be hard to say goodbye to him and only stay his friend. But she wanted him in her life, no matter how small. She will always remember the time they spent together and that would just have to be enough. She couldn't change the present. She couldn't stop the marriage, but she would be damned if she let anyone stop her from being close with him.'_

"What are you think about my little lioness?" he asked, still staring at the ceiling.

 _'She was growing fond of the nicknames he called her now. It was so much better than what he used to call her, so she was willing to suck it up because she knew he wasn't going to stop; no matter how much she asked.'_

"Just how much I love you." She replied with a smile.

He turned his head and grinned as he pulled her close to him and kissed the top of her head. She rested her head in the cup of his shoulder and placed a hand on his chest. Letting out a deep sigh, she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.


	26. Chapter 26- Past meet Present

Chapter 26- Past meet Present

 **Friday, April 19** **th** **, 1912 10:47am**

Draco stood outside the office of the Minister of Magic in America, pacing back and forth as Hermione talked to the Minister about gaining an international port key. They had agreed to tell the Minister and only him about being stuck in the past so they could get the port key quickly. Minister Archer Evermonde, wanted proof of the time jump, so he asked one of them to show him their memories. Deciding it was best to not show the government official Draco's memories due to his death eater status, he was ushered outside the office to wait.

It felt like hours to him, even though it was only fifteen minutes or so, before the Ministers' secretary opened the door and ushered him back in the room. Draco looked around the large office before his eyes rested on Hermione's hands. She was holding a muggle fountain pen that laid on a small piece of fabric.

"Now Miss. Granger, Mr. Malfoy." The Minister began as he looked over his spectacles. "I know that you both know how a port key works. It will not place you directly into The Castle, but it will place you just outside of its gates. From what I know of the stones, once you connect them they will automatically disappear and go back to which they came. The stones of the past will return to the original owners and the stones of your present will go back into the item in which it was placed. I wish you both, all the luck on your journey home. It has been a pleasure to meet you both and I do hope your timeline was not disturbed."

"Thank you Minister. We really appreciate your kindness." Hermione stated softly.

With that he nodded his head and walked out of the office. Draco turned to Hermione as she set the pen gently on the table. She reached into her bag and started pulling out the clothes they wore the night of the ball.

"We need to change back into our original clothes." She began as she handed him his black suite.

Once they were both dressed and she fixed her hair and makeup, transfigured their shoes back to their original state and then reached into her bag once more. She pulled out her jewelry and began to put in her diamond drop earrings. She handed Draco his watch and he studied it for a minute.

 _'Who could have thought that this meaningless watch could have helped him learn to love?'_

He placed the watch on his left wrist and began to help Hermione put her bracelet on. As he clasped it closed he held on to her wrist and studied the accessory.

"You look beautiful in red. Did I ever tell you that?" he asked not looking away from the bracelet.

She shook her head no as he looked up at her.

"Well you do. And I thought that when I first saw you enter though the Hall doors. I cursed myself for thinking it, but now…" he trailed off. "Did I ever tell you, that you also have the most addictive caramel eyes?"

"Draco?" She interrupted. "What are you doing?"

"I love you Hermione. And I want to tell you everything I promised myself I wouldn't say to you, back when I thought I still hated you. I realized I never actually hated you. You were annoying, yes, and you got under my skin with your constant 'always need to be right' attitude. But you fought back against me. You always did. You never shied away from a fight and its one of the reasons I love you so much."

She placed a finger on his lips and kissed him. She pulled away after a second and looked at him in the eye.

"Draco, I can't do this. I can't say goodbye to you. I won't do it…Let's just not do it, okay? Let's just remember the time we had together and not say goodbye. Please? It's too hard for me."

He nodded his head in understanding. She turned around and picked up the port key off the table. Turning back she let out a sigh and looked at Draco.

"Ready?" she asked.

"No. But I don't really have a choice, now do I?" He let out a deep breath as he readied himself to touch the port key.

"On three." She began lifting a hand above the fountain pen. "One…Two…Three."

The both touched the pen at the same time and he instantly felt like he was falling. It had been a long while since he used a port key and it was nothing like disapparation. His body stretched and pulled as he fell though time and space.

He landed on his feet and almost fell over at the force of the impact, as Hermione fell directly in front of him. He helped her stand and looked around. They were back in Southampton right outside The Castle gates just like the Minister said they would be. He grabbed Hermione's hand, led her down the path and walked inside. They made their way down the long corridor to the Great Hall. Draco opened one of the large double doors and waited for Hermione to walk through. They looked around at the room in sadness before placing themselves exactly where they stood before being thrown into the past.

She pulled out Aquila Malfoy's ring from her bag and handed it to him. She then proceeded to pull out the necklace of Dimitra Black. Hermione unwrapped the necklace and Draco followed suit throwing the fabric to the floor. He looked up at her sadly and he knew, she felt the same way he did just now.

"On the count of three, we touched the stones, okay?" he managed to speak.

"Draco?" she asked grabbing his forearm.

"Yes little cub?"

"Promise me." She began as a tear trickled down her cheek. "Promise me that you will stay in my life…somehow. Even if it is just to be my friend-"

"Hermione-"

"Promise me!"

Draco looked at the love of his life and realized this was her way of saying goodbye without having to actually say it. He cupped his hand to her cheek and wiped away the falling tear.

"I promise I won't ever leave you."

She nodded her head and removed her hand from his arm. She wiped her face and composed herself.

"We have to be touching Hermione." He pointed out.

"Right! Sorry."

She placed right hand on his shoulder and he desperately wanted to grab her and hold her, but he didn't. Instead he placed his left hand on her hip and lifted the ring up with his right.

"I love you Hermione Granger."

"I love you too Draco Malfoy."

They touched the stones together and a burst of red light lit up the room. The next thing they knew, they were both being sucked into an infinite vortex as they traveled back to the present.

XXXX

 **Saturday, April 6** **th** **, 2001 06:49pm**

Draco landed on the floor with a hard thud. Seconds later Hermione landed right on top of him as the burst of red light vanished. He gasped for a breath, just like he did the first time she landed on him.

 _'He may have loved her but he didn't love having the air knocked out of him in such a manor, again.'_

He adjusted his eyes and looked around the room. Hermione had also lifted her head to look. Everyone seemed stunned for a moment as the light that blinded them left the room. But he didn't have time to think about it. Suddenly the commotion started back up and he felt Hermione being ripped off of him. He looked up to see Harry Potter holding Hermione tightly in his arms. A spring of jealously clouded his mind for a second but was instantly removed when he felt four hands grab his arms and lift him up.

Blaise and Theo had seen the fight and ran over to help him up. He dusted himself off and looked at Hermione for a second. She looked broken as she turned away from him and buried her head into Pothead's chest. His gaze didn't linger for long because he finally remembered who caused the whole ordeal in the first place, Pansy.

He turned his head in complete anger and looked at the raven haired girl with hate.

"YOU!" he called out.

Everyone in the room was quite as they watched the Slytherin Prince tower over the now terrified girl.

"HOW DARE YOU! WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU! YOU CAN'T JUST GO PUSHING PEOPLE INTO OTHERS FOR NO REASON!" he yelled.

Pansy quickly composed herself and stared him down as well.

"Me! She had it coming and you know it! How dare you try to embarrass me!"

"I embarrassed you? Are you kidding me? Thanks to you and your lack of judgment I was just thrown to the ground unnecessarily! You're embarrassed? Please! You shouldn't have started that fight to begin with! She apologized to me for hitting me with her chair but you just couldn't let it go could you?"

"No!" Pansy shouted in anger "No I couldn't! She hit you on purpose I know it! I watched her do it! I was just defending you!"

"DEFENDING ME!" He shouted. "Defending me Pansy? I don't need you defending me! I can take care of myself! Now apologize to Granger for pushing her and go back to your table!" he demanded as he pointed to a few tables down from where they stood.

"What? No!" she announced in shock that he would even suggest she speak to Hermione.

"Apologize or leave! Your choice!"

"I…you wouldn't make me really leave?" she asked slightly confused. "Why are you sticking up for that mudblood?"

"Pansy, just leave! You're embarrassing yourself." Theo chimed in.

Just then Lucius and Narcissa walked up to the group. His father looked angry and his mother looked worried.

"What in Salazar's name is going on here!" Lucius's voice boomed.

No one answered him as Draco angrily stared down Pansy.

"Well someone answer me!" he demanded firmly.

Blaise stepped forward and looked at Mr. Malfoy.

"Pansy sir, got angry at Granger, because Granger accidently pushed her chair into Draco. Granger apologized to Draco but Pansy did not care. She pushed her into your son and they both fell to the floor. I can't explain the red light though I assume someone's wand went off, but I can tell you that after it disappeared, Draco got up and started yelling at Pansy to apologize to Granger." He explained calmly before bowing his head in respect and stepping back.

"Is that true? Pansy, you pushed Ms. Granger here?" Narcissa asked gently.

Pansy looked away from Draco's hateful eyes and looked at his mother.

"I…I only did it to defend Draco!" she panicked.

"That is not, a good enough reason to lay your hands on the woman! Apologize to her right this instant or you can leave." Narcissa demanded in a firm motherly tone.

Pansy looked at the woman in fear for a second before turning her attention to Hermione. Hermione was no longer in the arms of Potter, which made Draco happy, but he and She-Weasel were standing awfully close, protecting her.

"I…I am…so-ugh, I am s-so…sorry, Granger. That is the best you are getting out of me!"

Hermione stepped forward and looked at the girl in a serious manor. The seconds passed like minutes before hermione softened her expression and replied.

"I forgive you Pansy." She stated calmly before turning back around and taking her seat, not even bothering to glance in Draco's direction.

The rest of her group gave Pansy sour looks before turning back to the table and taking their seats as well.

"Right. So now that that is taken care of, can we please get on with the evening? Pansy, go take your seat. Blaise, Theo, if you could? I would like to speak to my son before announcements are made." Lucius announced.

The two men next to Draco bowed their heads and walked back to their table. Draco looked at his father, still not believing he was back in his own time, and remembered the questions he wanted to ask him. Lucius waved his fingers for Draco to follow and so he did. They made their way down the corridor and into an office Draco didn't recognize.

 _'It must have been one of the bedrooms that was redecorated to become an office.'_

Lucius walked around the large maple desk that sat in near the middle of the room, set his cane against the wood, poured himself a drink and took a seat.

"So, do you want to tell me what really happened and why you decided to defend Ms. Granger?" he asked curiously.

"She didn't do anything wrong father."

"Ah, so she did not purposely hit you and it really was all Ms. Parkinson being over dramatic?"

"Yes sir." Draco replied politely.

'I see, I see-"

"What happened to Aquila Malfoy?" Draco asked out of nowhere. "Why was I never told about her or Cygnus, for that matter?"

Lucius's eyes widen but he quickly fixed his expression.

"I do not know of who-"

"DON'T YOU DARE BEGIN TO LIE TO ME!" Draco shouted a little louder than he wanted to.

"Son? Why do you want to know about them?" Lucius asked confused." How do you even know about them?"

"Because that stone does much more then give the wearer luck Father! Mother knows, so why don't you ask her and answer my question!"

"I don't really know what is it you want me to say? Cygnus died a horrible death on a muggle contraption called-"

"The Titanic." Draco cut in a little more calmly.

Lucius eyes him curiously but continued his story.

"Yes…The Titanic. After his death, his wife held the power of the Malfoy name before his brother Pyxis married and took over as head; producing our line. Back then, our ancestors weren't proud of him dying on a ship that was made for muggles, so they refrained from ever bringing him up. He was never taught to new generations for the sake of embarrassing the name."

"And what about Aquila? What happened to her?" Draco asked calmly.

"Aquila Malfoy wiped herself off the tree."

"What? Why would she do that?" he asked confused.

"Apparently it had something to do with survivor's guilt. She was grief-stricken over her husband's death and no longer wanted to hold the Malfoy name, so a few weeks after the disaster that made her a widow; she came back to the Manor and burned herself off. She mailed a letter to Pyxis to let him know the manor was now his, but he was to keep any and all rules Cygnus applied in his will and then left. No one had heard or seen from her again…Why does this mean so much to your Draco? You didn't know them."

 _'But he did know them, and he cared for Aquila more than his father could ever know. She was like a second mother to him and she accepted Hermione.'_

"I don't have time to explain right now. You'll be late for your speech." Draco explained calmly.

Lucius eyed his son carefully before nodding his head and walked to the door.

"Are you coming son?" he asked as he placed both hands on his custom made cane.

"In a minute, I just want to make a few adjustments to my speech I left in one of the bedrooms." He claimed.

"Why is your speech in a bedroom?" His father asked curiously.

"I needed some quiet because Pansy wouldn't stop pestering me, so I escaped to one of the rooms to read it over." Draco explained.

"Very well, don't be long. Your mother will start to worry."

Draco nodded his head before his father turned and left the room. He waited until the footsteps were faint before he quickly made his way out of the office and down the hall to the East Wing. He ran into the bedroom he and Hermione had stayed in in 1912 and walked to the fireplace. He tapped his wand on a brick, which was six spots down; the brick disappeared and a paper and small box was in its place. Grabbing both items he read over the paper quickly to make sure it was good before folding it up and placing the items in his suit pocket. He looked around the untouched room for a minute; basking in the memories.

 _'This room will always be special to him.'_

Turning on his heels, he walked out the door and made his way back to the Great Hall.

 **Friday, April 6** **th** **, 2001 07:09pm**

Hermione sat at her table expressionless, staring at the untouched dessert that was placed in front of her moments ago. She couldn't afford to let her feelings known about what just happened or how she felt excited as Draco stood up for her. He was so angry at Pansy, normally it would have scared her but really all it did, was make her proud that he stood up for someone other than himself. That was the main reason she didn't look at him, because then she would have wanted to hug him in happiness. She didn't want to ruin his perfect reputation in front of his parents and his friends or have to explain why she voluntarily touched him.

She was however; quite surprised that Pansy even apologized to her, even if it was forced. Hogwarts Pansy would have called her a mudblood again and left, not force out an 'I'm sorry'.

 _'She seemed to have at least somewhat changed…kind of…maybe…okay, not really but still.'_

"Are you okay Hermione?" Ginny asked in concern as she placed a hand gently on her shoulder.

Hermione seemed to not hear her but she still lifted her head up and smiled. Ginny didn't seem to accept that as answer and raised an eyebrow at her?

"Don't let Pansy ruin your night. She's not worth it." Ginny stated as a matter of fact.

"I know. She doesn't bother me." Hermione claimed a little more sadly than she wanted as she lowered her head to look at her hands.

"Then what is wrong?" Harry chimed in.

"She's been through an awful tragedy." Luna stated pleasantly.

"What are you going on about Luna? Pansy's tantrum wasn't that traumatic. It was actually quite amusing." Seamus chuckled as he took a bite of his chocolate cake.

Luna never took her eyes of Hermione nor did she answer Seamus. Instead she tilted her head in understanding, when Hermione refused to acknowledge her.

"You love him, don't you?"

It was more a statement than a question. Hermione's head snapped up so quickly her body jerked and her hands hit the bottom of the table; shaking all the glasses around.

"What? Who do you love Hermione?" Ginny asked confused as she set her fork down.

But Hermione never answered her. Her eyes remained focused on the Ravenclaw blonde sitting to her right.

 _'How is it, that Luna Lovegood always knows things no one else does?'_

"It's okay Hermione, they will understand in time. He loves you too, you know? I can tell." Luna continued.

Her throat felt tight and her heart dropped into her stomach.

"Understand what Luna? What is going on?" Harry demanded to know as he looked back and forth between the two.

The whole table was looking on in ignorance as both women stared at each other. Hermione wide eyed and Luna with a smile plastered on her pretty pale face.

"H…how do you know this Luna?" Hermione finally managed to utter.

"My family was never on the Titanic." She shrugged "But you were." Was all Luna said as she looked to the ceiling as if memorized by something no one else could see.

"What?" Dean asked confused even more. "What is she talking about Hermione? Titanic was almost a hundred years ago. Were you an extra that we didn't know about in the movie?" he joked.

Knowing Dean was a half-blood who currently lived in the muggle world; Hermione knew that he must know what the Titanic was. Her heart felt like it was about to explode from her chest. Her mouth gaped open as she tried to find words but nothing came to her. She couldn't breathe; all that came to her was the fact that using Luna's last name had somehow caused a ripple in time.

"What's a Titanic?" Ginny asked perplexed.

"It's was a muggle ship that sunk back in the early 1900's. It hit an iceberg and took a whole lot of people with it. They made a movie back in 97' about it." Dean explained not taking his eyes off Hermione.

Hermione finally broke her gaze off Luna and looked to Dean.

"They…wait, a movie was made about it? How did I not know this?" she asked him with skepticism.

"It came out about five months or so before the battle. We were all too busy with the war to know, but I saw it once the war was over about a year later. It's a sappy romantic drama but it was actually pretty good once the ship started sinking. It apparently was a box office hit. Have you not seen it?" He clarified.

Hermione was dumbfounded but offended at his disrespect for the ship.

 _'How could he enjoy watching the ship sink knowing it killed so many people? But more importantly she didn't need see the movie…she lived it. However, if she had actually lived in the muggle world long enough after the war, then she would have known all about that horrific day. She would have been able to know exactly what happened and when.'_

"You still never answered us Hermione?" Ginny interrupted. "Who do you love and why haven't you told me?"

"May I have your attention please?" Lucius voice echoed through the hall.

Hermione had never been more thankful in her life for the interruption of Draco's father. She could kiss the man right now for saving her from having to explain who she loved and why.

 _'We can't be together anyway, so what is the point of telling them? They wouldn't understand.'_

"I would like to start off this wonderful evening with a few speeches. My son Draco will soon announce the winners of the sponsorship and shortly after, the dance floor will be open to all." He continued. "Firstly, I want to thank each and every one of you for attending this wonderful charity ball. Thanks to many special donors we are able to give out sponsorships to eight honorees tonight!"

Everyone clapped in excitement at the news; everyone except Hermione. She was too busy dreading the moment Draco announced his engagement to Astoria; leaving her with nothing but a broken heart and the fact that Luna knows she was on the Titanic.

"Now this speech will not be very long. The main reason I am standing up here tonight is to announce my retirement. Draco my dear boy, come up here." Lucius turned to his right and waved a hand for blonde to walk up on the stage.

Hermione looked with sadness as Draco walked up the stage and smiled happily to his father.

 _'Why is he so happy? Why doesn't he look to feel as miserable as she did right now?'_

Lucius wrapped and arm around Draco's shoulder before continuing on.

"I would like you all to bear witness as I pass on the family name and fortune to my son."

Kingsley Shacklebolt walked up to the stage with a piece of parchment in his hand and stood just between the two men. He held out his free hand as Lucius removed his Head of House ring from his finger and handed it to the Minister. He held out his hand and Draco grasped it with his, like he was making an unbreakable vow, and looked at his father with the upmost seriousness.

"I, Lucius Abraxas Malfoy, pass on my right as Head of Malfoy Household to you Draco. Minister for Magic, Kingsley Shacklebolt, bears witness and has signed his name on the contract. Therefore I asked the following; Do you Draco, accept the responsibility to uphold, to the best of your ability, any and all estates, business, and family values? Will you uphold, to the best of your ability, any and all rules placed by your previous ancestors in their wills? And will you promise to honor and respect the Malfoy name, from this day forth?"

Draco stood up straight and proud.

"I, Draco Lucius Malfoy, accept all responsibilities."

The Minister for Magic opened the parchment he held in his hand and released it in the air. The paper floated in front of Lucius as he pulled out a quill from his robes and handed it to Draco's father. Lucius took the quill and signed his name at the bottom before the paper turned to Draco for him to do the same.

 _'He didn't even hesitate; no stutter, nothing. Did he already move on from her? Was he really going to go through with this and marry Astoria to please his father? Just like the old Draco; he would do anything if it meant getting respect and approval from Lucius Malfoy; not even caring who he hurt in the process.'_

Draco signed the parchment and a golden glow illuminated off the paper. Kinsley then took the floating paper and quill and handed the ring back to Lucius. He held in in his hand and looked at it for a moment before lifting Draco's hand, and placing it on his left middle finger. He cupped his hand in his as he smiled upon his son.

"You, my son, now hold the title: Head of House. Congratulations my boy!" Lucius announced happily as he pulled Draco into a hug.

Everyone in the Hall stood up and clapped their hands in congratulations. Hermione had no choice but to follow suit, as her heart broke, into a million pieces.


	27. Chapter 27- Draco's Speech

Chapter 27- Draco's Speech

 **Friday, April 6** **th** **, 2001 07:45pm**

Draco looked at his father with pride. He had finally gained the titled he had dreamed of since he was a child. He looked down at the ring on his finger. It wasn't as large as the family ring he wore on his right and instead of the family crest; it held a large green cursive 'H' in the center of the thick silver band. He knew though, once he married he would have to remove the ring and place it on a chain to wear around his neck, like his father normally did so it wouldn't clash with his wedding band. He was proud of this moment; he was finally able to have a say in what he did with his life and no one, not even his father, could stop him.

He let go of his father's hand and walked up to the mic. He looked around the crowded room before his eyes landed on a very sad looking Gryffindor. His heart broke for her. He knew, she knew, what was expected of him but she still stayed. He had half expected her to get up and walk away once the title was transferred. He really hoped she didn't though, even though there was still time for her to bolt.

Looking down at the mic he cleared his throat and pulled out a piece of paper from his jacket. He glanced over it quickly before he began.

"Thank you all so much for coming this evening. I know it is not every day one gets to witness a title transfer and I am happy to have been able to share that moment with you. I know you are all eager to get this party started, so they say." he smiled as everyone let out a laugh. "I will make this as quick, as possible so you can take off your shoes and have some fun. First I would like to start off by listing off the eight honorees that have won the Muggle-born Malfoy scholarship of 2001."

He began to list off the names one by one as the children came to the front to collect a rolled parchment and shake hands with himself, Lucius, Narcissa, and Kingsley. Once he was finished and the last honoree had taken their seat he cleared his throat one more time. He saw Astoria Greengrass had walked to the end of stage ready to be introduced.

Draco took a deep break in as he looked to the girl he was being forced to marry. He noticed Hermione was also looking at the girl, with tears forming in her eyes. He pulled out the paper and box he received from the bedroom earlier and began to speak.

"In Malfoy tradition, in order to stay Head of House, I am to be married. This might not come as a shock to all of you but it is something my family holds dear; it is tradition. It is a way for one to pass on the name to a new generation. I am happy to announce Astoria Greengrass has accepted my proposal and has agreed to marry me." He continued with a large smile.

The crowd stood back up in honor of the accepted proposal and clapped as Astoria began her trek up the stairs in her long silver gown and across the stage.

"However, I won't be marrying Miss. Greengrass." He interrupted.

Astoria stopped walking and everyone slowly lowered their hands in confusion.

"Draco!" Lucius whispered and he took a minor step towards his son. "What are you doing?"

"As the new Head of House, I am now able to choose my bride as I see fit."

"Stop it!" Lucius exclaimed through gritted teeth. "That is not how this works!"

Lucius expression turned to anger and he took another step closer to him. Narcissa though, touched his father's arm and held him back. Draco looked back to the mic and continued his speech.

"As part of my agreement to take over includes, 'upholding, to the best of my ability, any and all rules placed by my previous ancestors in their wills'; I am going to do just that." He opened the folded paper in his hand and began to read aloud.

 _ **My Dearest Draco,**_

 _ **This legal document is the Last Will and Testament of Aquila Livia Parkinson-Malfoy, age 42 and Cygnus Septimus Malfoy, age 53; whom both reside at Malfoy Manor in London, England. This Will revokes any previous made Will and Codicil. We are of sound mind and agree that this Will was and is not made under any duress.**_

 _ **This Will is to be read aloud by Executor, Draco Lucius Malfoy born June 5**_ _ **th**_ _ **, 1980 on Saturday, April 6**_ _ **th**_ _ **, 2001.**_

 _ **This Will state all rules that I and my husband put forth to you, Draco, and all future generations to follow, until the Malfoy name no longer exists. The rules are to not be changed or altered in any way. They are as followed:**_

 _ **~The Malfoy family fortune will remain to be passed down to the next heir once they have signed the legal document to gain the title Head of House status.**_

 _ **~The Head of House and their future spouse are in full control of any and all estates, business/s, and fortune owned under the Malfoy name.**_

 _ **~Any and all family decisions will be made by the Head of House and their respective partner as they see fit.**_

 ** _~Head of House will not abuse the power given to them, and will still uphold the rules applied in the contract, that was signed and notarized by the Minister for Magic._**

 _ **~ If the Head of House abuses his or her power, the magic binding them in the contract will stripped them of their statue. If no heir is selected to take over within a year of the revoked title, the family will be removed from the wizarding world and all assets will be sold.**_

 ** _~The new Head of House must marry within a years' time after gaining the title, otherwise he or she forfeit the status and the family will be removed from the wizarding world and all assets will be sold_** _ **, if there is no heir is selected to take over.**_

 _ **~Any Malfoy born after January, 1980 will be able to choose for themselves, who they wish to become their bride or groom, regardless of race, gender, and blood status. He or she may be able to marry pureblood, half-blood, muggle-born, and or muggle if they so choose.**_

 _ **~No Malfoy born after January, 1980 will be forced into a marriage, he or she does not desire. If the heir refuses to marry, due to an arrangement made by another; he or she may void the marriage contract entirely.**_

 _ **We hereby honor onto you Draco, the Malfoy Blessing and the House of Parkinson's family engagement ring. You are to gift your future bride, with this ring on Saturday April 6**_ _ **th**_ _ **, 2001.**_

 _ **We wish you love, joy and happiness in your life. Best of luck.**_

 _ **Yours truly with love,**_

 _ **Aquila Livia Parkinson-Malfoy, Great Grand-Aunt of Draco Lucius Malfoy. Signed on: 14/04/1912**_

 _ **and**_

 _ **Cygnus Septimus Malfoy, Great Grand-Uncle of Draco Lucius Malfoy. Signed on: 14/04/1912**_

 _ **Notarized by:**_

 _ **Justus Pilliwickle, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement**_

 _ **and**_

 _ **Archer Evermonde, Minister for Magic**_

 _ **Sealed and dated on Tuesday the 14**_ _ **th**_ _ **of May, 1912**_

The majority of people in the room began to murmur, question and gossip to each other about what they just heard, as others looked upon the faces of the Malfoy family in shock.

"With that said," Draco continued over the crowd "I renounce my offer to marry Miss. Astoria Greengrass and instead choose to marry Miss. Hermione Granger…if she will have me."

Everyone in the room was struck silent with their mouths gaped open, except for one Pansy Parkinson, who had just fainted into Blaise's arms. Astoria had run off stage in tears as Lucius looked at his son with daggers. The group around Hermione's table was struck speechless and seemed to not know what to do. Luna however was smiling widely and clapping her hands together in joy. The rest of the crowd looked around the room until their eyes landed on Hermione, waiting for her to respond. She looked up at Draco with just as much surprise as everyone else.

Draco quickly jumped off the stage and walked up to the Gryffindor Golden Girl. He slowly took her hands in his; ignoring the death glares her friends were giving him, and thought about his next words carefully.

"Hermione, I know that this is all a bit of a shock to you and well, I guess to everyone else right now as well. I hope that you can forgive me; I wanted to tell you for days that I had found a way out of my arrangement, but I also wanted to surprise you. I can't explain everything right now but I promise you I will one day soon. I know we have known each other for years and during that time, we never actually got along but…I know you now. You are Gryffindor's Bravest Princess and I am Slytherin's most Entitled Prince. To anyone else, we don't work; but to me, you are everything. I can't live or breathe without you Hermione. You are the most beautiful woman I have ever laid eyes on. I am madly in love with you and I want to give you the world… So," He lowered himself down to one knee "will you, Hermione Jean Granger, do me the honor of becoming my Queen? Will you marry me?"

Hermione looked down at him with an open mouth and tears flowing down her beautiful blushed cheeks. She glanced up at Ginny who was giving Draco an evil eye but was also tearing up, along with every other woman in the room. He ignored the fiery red head and turned his attention back to his little cub. His face started to fall with worry as she still didn't answer him. He saw Luna lean into her ear and whisper something but he couldn't hear what she said. Hermione turned her attention back to him before nodding her head with a large smile.

"Yes!"

To say Draco was ecstatic was an understatement. He released the breath he was holding and quickly stood while picking her up; spinning her around in a circle before setting her down and placing a tender kiss upon her lips. Most of the crowd clapped and cheered in excitement and he heard Theo and Blaise let out a few whoops as he kissed the woman of his dreams. The girl who literally and figuratively, breathed life back into his dead soul. A few cameras flashed around but he no longer cared about his reputation. The only thing he cared about anymore was the fact that Hermione had just agreed to be his wife.

He pulled back from the kiss and lifted the lid to the box that contained the Parkinson family engagement ring. He didn't know Aquila would leave him the ring, nor did he know she was even a Parkinson before she married into the family. What he did know, was after this moment, he owed Aquila everything.

X

 **Friday, April 6** **th** **, 2001 08:10pm**

Draco placed the beautiful, rose gold, ring on Hermione's left ring finger and instantly pulled her into another kiss. The happy moment however, didn't last very long, before she felt Draco being pulled off her by Lucius Malfoy.

"You four! Follow me now!" he ordered in anger, pointing to Hermione, Luna, Ginny, and Harry.

Hermione lowered her head as the group plus Draco followed Lucius, Narcissa, and Kingsley out of the Great Hall. They walked in silence down the long corridor and into a large spacious office Hermione didn't recognize from her previous journey through the Castle. Once everyone had entered the room, Lucius slammed the door shut, turned on his heels and walked behind the grand maple desk.

"What is the meaning of this? Who put you all up to this? I demand to know NOW!" Lucius yelled in frustration slamming his fist on the desk as the group shuddered at the impact.

"Lucius my love, calm yourself, you must think of your health." Narcissa exclaimed walking up to him, placing a hand on his chest.

"I am sure there must be some sort of reason this has occurred." Kingsley stated calmly.

"IT'S A TRICK! A DIRTY TRICK THEY HAVE PLAYED TO EXTRACT THEIR REVENGE ON ME FROM THE WAR!" Lucius shouted in anger.

"I am sure it is not that." Kingsley replied before walking up to Draco and started to examine his face. "Hm, I see no trace of a spell or love potion used. However I would like to have an Aurora do some tests for proof and-"

"Love potion! You think I am under the influence of a love potion?" Draco interrupted in disgusted pushing the man away from him.

"I see no other way! She wants your money and to ruin our honorable reputation! She wants to tarnish the pureblood line we have spent centuries building!" Lucius argued pointing at Hermione in anger.

"Wait! You honestly think that Hermione would do something like that? That is outrageous! I am in as much shock as all of you but she would never stoop the level of cursing Malfoy!" Harry intervened, protecting his best friend.

"Yeah! How do we know ferret boy here didn't spell Hermione to reclaim his so called honorable reputation by trying to marry one of the Golden Trio? He of all people, other than you, would stoop to that level!" Ginny angrily stated; not caring that she just insulted both Draco and Lucius in their own estate.

The group continued to argue and yell at one another as Hermione watching in sadness.

 _'She knew something like this was going to happen. Why couldn't Draco have just waited to announce he wanted to marry her?'_

Hermione looked down at the engagement ring placed on her finger. It was a 2ct round natural blue Sapphire Arabesque. It was definitely antique looking but still very beautiful. She twisted the ring around her finger a few times before looking up at the people in the room.

"Let me see the Will Draco." Kingsley asked with an out stretched hand.

Draco handed the paper to the Minister and Kingsley read it over. He pulled out his wand and casted a few charms.

"This is definitely the Ministry seal and it was not forged. This is a real and legal Last Will and Testament. All rules set forth by your ancestors must be followed."

Hermione noticed Luna had not said a single word the entire time and wondered if anyone even remembered she was still in the room.

"This is bloody insane! How does Aquila and Cygnus know anything about Draco? And how the bloody hell, can she write a Will to a person who at the time, was not even born yet?" Lucius yelled out.

"Time Travel of course!"

Everyone in the room stopped talking at once and turned their heads to look at the petite blonde standing in the corner watching them.

"Hasn't anyone ever time traveled before? It's quite dangerous but sometimes can be fun." Luna chirped in innocence as she looked around curiously.

"Yes, but Luna, Time Turners can't go back that far." Harry explained.

"Time Turners can't." Narcissa began taking a step away from her husband. "But Time Stones can…Ms. Granger, do you…do you happen to possess one of the stones?"

Hermione looked at Draco's mother and hesitantly lifted her left wrist up to show the stone that settled in her bracelet.

Narcissa let out a gasp and walked over to Hermione. She turned the bracelet in her hand and then quickly reached out and grabbed Draco's wrist, all while not removing her hand from Hermione.

"The red light." She looked up at them. "You both went back in time! Your test…it…it was the Titanic, wasn't it? How long?"

Hermione looked at Draco. He nodded his head and she looked back to Narcissa.

"Almost two full weeks." She replied calmly.

"I'm sorry what?" Harry interjected. "How is that even possible? Why didn't we know they were gone then?"

"It's hard to explain Harry. I just-we just…we were thrown back when Pansy pushed me into Draco. The stones connected and we were sent to 1912-"

"Their soulmates!" Luna announced excitingly.

"Whoa! What the hell is happening right now? Can someone please stop and explain to us just what exactly is being said right now." Ginny stated in confusion holding up a hand.

"It's a long story to try and explain." Draco said as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"Then show us." Kingsley announced "Harry, as an Aurora, you should have your portable Pensieve on you."

Harry looked at the Minister and nodded his head before reaching into his breast pocket and pulled out a small hand held Pensieve, which was a little bit bigger than an average hand mirror, and a few vials.

"Draco, Hermione. If you could please extract some of your memories as to prove to the rest of us, your journey through time was not a lie, and we can settle this here and now." Kingsley urged.

The couple stepped forward after a few seconds of thinking it over and took the vials from Harry. They pointed their wands to their temples and slowly extracted the memories they both thought was best and not R rated to show the group. One by one, they placed each memory into the vials before handing two a piece over to Kingsley.

Harry used the Engorgement Charm to make the Pensieve larger, before looking to the group.

"Right, well this might take a while so if anyone has to use the loo, you better do it now. If not, everyone gather round and hold hands; we can all go together. Hermione, Malfoy, if you would like to partake-"

"I would rather not relive parts of that traumatic event, Potter and I am sure Hermione doesn't either. We will sit this one out thanks." Draco interrupted crossing his arms in front of his chest.

"I too would like to sit out. I was never fond of reliving other's memories." Luna stated nonchalantly as she walked to a chair in front of the desk and sat down.

Harry shrugged his shoulders and grasped Ginny's hand. The rest followed suite as harry poured the first memory into the Pensieve. He then grasped Narcissa hand and they all bowed to place their faces into the liquid.

Hermione copied Luna and took a seat next to her as Draco made his way to sit behind the maple desk.

They sat in silence for a few minutes before Hermione decided to question Luna.

"Luna, how did you know Draco and I were on the Titanic before anyone else knew?"

"What?" Draco asked perplexed. "You knew? How?"

Luna put a smile on her face before answering.

"Simple really. You changed something in the past. You pretended to be a Lovegood and my family has never been on the Titanic." She explained.

"How do you know that?" Hermione questioned.

"I saw you both in a picture in a muggle museum dedicated to Titanic artifacts, when my father and I were tracking Crumple-Horned Snorkacks through Sweden, about a year ago. You were standing at the base of the Grand Staircase looking very lovingly into each other's eyes. I assume the picture was retrieved and fixed, after divers went down to salvage belongings from the ship. I didn't believe it was you both at first, until I read the article at the bottom where it claimed you both to be Draco and Hermione Lovegood. There are no other Lovegood's in the world and your names are rather rare as well; I checked. So I looked at my family tree when we returned home and sure enough, neither of your names were on it. I decided not to say anything until I knew for certain. It wasn't until after Pansy pushed you into Draco that I knew you traveled through time." Luna clarified proudly.

"There is a picture of us in a museum?" Hermione asked in concern.

"In Sweden?" Draco added.

"Don't worry. I transfigured the picture just in case, but I did make a copy. I can show it to you sometime, if you like."

"Yeah,uh…That would be nice." Draco claimed as he looked a Luna in awe.

Luna folded her hands on her lap and looked around the room as if the conversation never happened. Hermione watched the girl in wonder and admired her for her cleverness before turning her attention to Draco.

"How did you do it?" she asked not caring that Luna was now listening to their conversation. "Why didn't you tell me you found a way out of your arrangement? And how did you and Aquila get Cygnus to agree to the terms of the Will? And how-"

"Hermione," Draco cut in "One question at a time." He let out a deep sigh as he leaned back into the chair. "I guess I should start with the night of the iceberg. You were talking with Dimitra, Robert, and Molly after dinner. I pulled Aquila a side and explained everything to her. I asked her about the marriage contract and how I wanted out of it. We then came up with a plan to rewrite her and Cygnus's Will's. Surprisingly, it wasn't that hard to convince Cygnus. He liked you, despite your blood status and agreed to make the changes. And before you ask, Aquila was still under unbreakable vow so she didn't say a word. I told Cygnus everything, and he agreed that things needed to change. I then left it up to them to write up the will and have it placed in a brick on the fireplace in the bedroom we shared the first two nights. When Aquila told us on the Carpathia, that she had some things to take care of when she returned to Southampton, it was to get the Will notarized formally so that it can be used when we returned home."

"You…you didn't pull that memory did you?" She asked in fear.

"No, that memory is still safe and will remain so."

"How very Slytherin of you, Draco." Luna stated with a smile. "But that must have been hard to keep all of that a secret. I am very sorry for your burden."

"Okay, am I going crazy or did Luna just say she was sorry to me?" Draco asked with a raised brow.

"You're not going crazy Draco. You're just as sane as I am." Luna chirped happily.

"That is what I am afraid of." He joked letting out a soft chuckle. "Anyway, I didn't tell you because I wanted to surprise you and I didn't want to wait any longer after reading the Will. Please don't be mad at me Hermione."

"I'm not mad at you, I'm just…I don't know, I just don't like being kept in the dark about things. You led me to believe we couldn't be together and then you pull off this big speech and, bloody hell, I just wasn't prepared." She replied in a huff leaning back into her chair.

"No man is going to tell his future bride that he is going to propose, Granger. That would defeat the purpose of a surprise."

She looked away from him and crossed her arms.

 _'She knew he was right; she just didn't want to admit that he pulled one over on her.'_

A little over half hour, later the group pulled out of the second memory.

"Wow, I think I have more questions than answers right now." Harry stated in shock.

"Trust me Potter, the next two memories won't be so pleasant." Draco claimed a little defeated.

Harry nodded his head in understanding and placed Draco's second memory into the bowl. The group lowered once more.

About an hour later the group pulled up from the last memory which happened to be Hermione's. Draco's last memory didn't include the part on the life boat; instead it ended when he stopped breathing. Hermione's however, included the sinking, the lifeboat and the aftermath on the Carpathia.

The trio that waited for the memories to end, looked at the group as they stood staring at the Pensieve. No one said a word or moved from the spot they stood; they were in too much of a shock to do anything. They had not only just witnessed the sinking of the ship from both perspectives, but also the aftermath. Ginny was silently crying and even Lucius, seemed utterly mournful. No one moved a muscle, until Hermione saw Narcissa blink a few times before turning to her in a hurry and embracing her in a large deep hug.

In normal circumstances, the hug would have been awkward to everyone who witnessed it, but this was no normal circumstance. Narcissa hugged Hermione with such emotion that tears stared to form in both of their eyes.

"I am so sorry Hermione. I am so very, very sorry." Narcissa admitted through her tears as she squeezed her tighter.

She pulled back from the hug but did not remove her hands from Hermione's shoulders as she crouched down in front of her. She cupped Hermione's face in her palm and looked at her with motherly love.

"You saved my son. You fought tooth and nail to rescue him and…you saved his life…There are no words to express how grateful I am to you. I owe you everything Hermione….everything…thank you."

Hermione looked at the woman as tears escaped her caramel eyes.

"I love him." she expressed with a sad smile as she looked into Narcissa eyes.

Lucius walked up to the two women with grief written all over his features.

"Ms. Granger…Hermione. We both owe you everything. Whatever you want, it's yours. We will abide by the Will left by Aquila and Cygnus. I will honor the rules given. Our son chose you; it will take some time getting used to the change but I think…I think it will be a welcoming change. You have our blessing to marry my son." Lucius claimed with a half-smile.

Before Hermione could utter a reply the door to the office burst open and a very angry Pansy stormed in.

"IT'S ALL A LIE! THIS STUPID MUDBLOOD DID SOMETHING TO DRACO! YOU SHOULD HAVE HER ARRESTED! I WANT HER ARRESTED!" she screamed out while pointing to Hermione.

Blaise and Theo ran into the room seconds behind her but stopped when they saw the group before them.

"I am sorry Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy." Blaise stated breathing heavily. "We tried to stop her…but she punched Theo…and ran off."

Hermione looked at Theo and saw a bruise already starting to form around his left eye. But before she could say anything Ginny removed herself the spot she was still standing at in anger and walked up to Pansy.

"You stupid bitch!" she yelled out before slapping Pansy hard across the face.

Pansy's head turned to the right at the force and the clap echoed across the room, but no one moved to stop Ginny. Instead everyone remained where they were as they watched the scene unfold.

"How dare you! How dare you barge in here without knowing a thing about anything! And how dare you accuse my best friend of doing something so…so…EVIL! You are pathetic and an embarrassment to everyone!" Ginny yelled.

Pansy held her cheek as she began to start crying. She looked past everyone and looked to Draco with pleading eyes.

"Draco," she managed to say. "You're just going to let her hit me like that? Do something!"

Draco stood up from behind the desk and leaned his hands on the maple wood, staring Pansy down.

"Pansy, Ginny can do whatever she wants; I won't stop her. She has every right to do what she just did. Do not ask me for help again. We are not friends anymore nor am I you lover. I don't want you and I never will. You are just a whore and you never loved me. You only wanted me for my money and to parade me around like a piece of arm candy. I will never want you. If you can't get that through your head then we are going to have a problem."

"You're choosing that mudblood, over me?" she asked with venom in her voice.

"Stop calling her that!" Harry intervened.

"Stay out of this Scar Head!" She snapped. "This is between me and Draco!" She looked back to Draco with daggers in her eyes.

"Yes, I am choosing the love of my life, over you! And I always will!"

Narcissa stood up from Hermione and walked across the room calmly with her hands folded in front of her. She reminded Hermione so much of Aquila that it was almost like they were related; even though they weren't. Narcissa stopped in front of Pansy and Pansy's features instantly changed from anger to sadness.

"Mrs. Malfoy…Please…please tell your son he is making a mistake. Tell him he's wrong. That that mudblood has him under a love potion or something."

Narcissa looked at the begging woman as if she cared but her expression quickly turned deadly serious.

"Ms. Parkinson, your actions this evening have created an avalanche of problems with my son. Draco is Head of House now and has made his choice; I suggest you respect it. You have been nothing but a nuisance to this family and I want you to leave this instance."

"You can't serious? You are taking the mudblood's side too?"

"That mudblood, is my future daughter-in-law. You will do well to mind your tongue."

Pansy looked at the woman in shock. "I don't believe this! You are all crazy!" she yelled before turning on her heels in a huff to walk out of the room.

"Oh and Pansy, before you leave," Narcissa began as she walked the few steps to place herself back in front of the raven haired girl. She lifted a hand quickly and slapped Pansy's already red and swollen cheek. "That is for calling Hermione a mudblood." She slapped her again across the other cheek when Pansy lifted her head. "And that is for almost getting my son killed." She stated bitterly but remained poise the entire time. "Now you may leave."

The group watched as Pansy quickly pushed past Blaise and Theo and exited the room crying.

"What…the…hell…just happened?" Theo asked completely dumbfound.

"Draco and Hermione will explain everything to you if they desire. I however, have a party to host and wedding to plan. If you all will excuse me."

With that Narcissa walked past the two shocked men and exited the room. Lucius looked at Draco and nodded his head before turning to Hermione.

"I know we have not gotten off on the right foot Ms. Granger, and you most likely think very low of me right now, but you seem to make my son happy and that is all I can ask for anymore. I…am sorry for my actions this evening towards you. I do wish to speak with you again soon but right now I must assist my wife and think a few things over." He turned to the exit, and began to leave but stopped in his tracks and slowly turned back around. "You saved my sons life…I owe you a life debt Ms. Granger. You are now fully protected under the Malfoy family." He spoke tenderly.

Hermione was struck speechless as she watched Lucius walk out the office. Draco walked around the desk and stood behind her placing his hands gently on her shoulders. She heard him take in a deep breath as Ginny and Harry walked over to them. Luna stood up and nodded her head at the couple, before also taking her leave. Hermione and Draco stayed where they were as they watched their friends ascended on them and braced themselves for the impact of questions they were about to be ask.


	28. Chapter 28- You Have a Friend in Me

Chapter 28- You Have a Friend in Me

 **Friday, April 6** **th** **, 2001 10:18pm**

Blaise closed the office door before turning around to face Draco and Hermione with the rest of their friends. Draco stood behind Hermione as his two friends eyed him skeptically. Harry and Ginny had moved closer the couple but dare not say anything. Theo looked around at the group in confusion as Blaise rested his back to the wall by the door with a lifted foot and crossed arms.

"So," Theo began breaking the awkward silence. "I just first want to start off by saying that that was one hell of a speech Draco! Did not see that coming at all; total surprise! But besides that, as awesome as it was to see your mother smack Pansy, not only once but twice! Why the hell did she do it?"

"And why did she say that it was for Pansy almost getting you killed?" Blaise added with a raised brow.

Draco let out a deep breath as he removed his hands from his fiancée's shoulders and took a seat on the edge of the desk.

"You guys might want to sit down for this." He gestured towards the two empty chairs.

"I'll stand thanks." Blaise retorted not moving from the wall.

Theo nodded his head in agreement and remained where he was. Draco watched as Hermione moved aside and placed herself on the desk next to him. Harry and Ginny conjured two chairs for themselves and sat down as they waited for the tale to begin. Draco looked back to his two friends and let out another deep breath.

"Okay…So you see these stones?" He began as he pointed to his watch and Hermione's bracelet. "They are known as Time Stones, extremely rare. When connected, they throw the users, back in time."

Draco continued to tell his friends about the stones and a brief description of their journey before Blaise interrupted with a raised hand.

"So, what you are saying is that you two are soulmates and you both traveled back to 1912 for two weeks, fell in love, survived a disaster on a muggle ship in the middle of the ocean, after you met your ancestors who helped you get out of your marriage contract by changing their Will?" he asked doubtfully.

"Yes, that is exactly what we are saying." Hermione responded gently.

"Horseshit! I don't believe you. Don't get me wrong though; after witnessing Draco almost melt in amazement when he saw you entered the room, I figured he had some feelings for you, but that just sounds like a load of rubbish. How is someone from the past allowed to write out a Will to someone not even born at that time?"

"Trust me Zabini," Harry chimed in. "we didn't believe it at first either and there is no law against it. There are plenty of Seers who do it to this day. Aquila might not have been a seer but technically, the Ministry doesn't know that. Seers weren't required to let the government know of their gift until the late sixties."

"I am still so confused." Theo added as he shook his head at the floor before looking up at Draco. "Why didn't we know you were gone then if you were stuck in 1912 for two weeks? This makes no sense. I have to agree with Blaise on this one; it sounds like a made up story."

Kingsley raised his finger in the air and spoke before anyone else had a chance to say anything. The group jumped in fear for a second, forgetting that he was even still in the room.

"If I may?" He asked politely. "Maybe we should show them the memories…if it's alright with you two?"

"Memories? What memories?" Blaise questioned as he removed himself from the wall.

Draco nodded his head to the Minister, who moved out of the corner he was standing and Harry stood up to walk over to the Pensieve. He ushered the two men to follow as he brought out the memories from his jacket.

"Have either of you used a Pensieve before?" Harry asked gently.

The men shook their heads no, so Harry began to explain how it worked.

"…We have already seen the memories and to be honest, I would rather not watch them again; so you two will be going alone. It will take some time to go through all four, but trust me when I say this; the last two are not for the faint heart."

The two men nodded their heads in understanding and stood up next to the large bowl.

"Now you both will have to hold hands to travel together." The men did as they were told and took in deep breaths as they prepared to witness the memories. "Neither of you have to pee do you?"

"What?" Blaise questioned, squinting his face. "No."

"Okay good."

Harry poured in the first memory and the men lowered their faces into the water.

While the group waited Harry turned around and faced Draco. He cleared his throat and looked up at him. He didn't look angry or hateful, like he normally did when he was in front of a Malfoy, but he did look serious.

"I will take this as my cue to leave." Kingsley stated warmly. "Your parents are probably trying to do some damage control and I feel I must assist."

"Thank you Kingsley. For all your help." Hermione stated sincerely.

He bowed his head as a show of respect and gracefully exited the room.

"Malfoy?" Harry began once the door was shut. "I…I am grateful for you putting Hermione on the lifeboat, saving her. I am sorry that you both had to go through such a tragedy. I never thought in my life that I would say this to you…ever, but…Thank you for saving my best friend."

Draco nodded his head slightly but quickly crossed his arms and looked at the boy who lived.

"Saint Potter is actually thanking me for something? Times have changed!"

"Don't get used to it Malfoy! It won't happen again."

"We'll see." He smirked.

"I'd like to thank you too Malfoy." Ginny stood up from her chair. "Hermione is like a sister to me and I know from the memories, you treated her like a queen. You love each other and as much as I wanted to kill you before knowing everything, I have to admit that your proposal was something worthy of Hermione and she deserves the world. We just want what is best for her and if that means that it is you, then so be it. You make her happy and that makes me happy. But I swear, if you hurt her-"

"I won't…I promise." He cut in holding a hand up from his crossed arms.

Ginny nodded her head before making her way over to Hermione and hugging her. Ginny pulled away from his fiancée and moved to stand in front of him. He lowered is arms, preparing for the worst but to his surprise; she hugged him. He stood there for a moment, paralyzed and speechless as he thought about what to do. Realizing this was a rare moment and that the tempered red head that was hugging him, was actually starting to grow on him after slapping Pansy; he slowly lowered his hands and hugged her back.

Once she let go and took a step back; Harry stepped forward and reached out a hand. Draco felt like he was thrown into an alternate reality but he quickly shook off the dumbfound expression and reach out his hand to shake Potters.

"I can't wait to tell mum about your engagement!" Ginny clapped in excitement. "Although, she will probably read it in the papers tomorrow. Every newspaper is going to have you both on the front page! This story is huge-oh shit!"

"What?" Hermione asked startled. "What is it Gin?"

"Ron…He's going to see it in the paper…He's not going to be very happy about this. I know he still loves you Mione." Ginny stated unnerved.

Hermione looked up at Draco and he realized that they both completely forgot about how Weasel would react.

 _'If past history was anything to go by; Ron Weasley was going to flip his shit when he finds out.'_

"Ron broke up with me, remember? And he hasn't spoken or even tried to contact me in anyway the past year! He lost his chance with me and he has no right to tell me who I am allowed to be with." Hermione replied upset.

He hugged Hermione from behind in comfort and kissed the top of her head.

"We survived a sinking ship for Merlin's sake; I think we can handle your brother." Draco added firmly as he looked at Ginny.

 _'At least…he hoped they could.'_

XXXX

 **Saturday, April 7** **th** **, 2001 12:29am**

Almost two hours had passed before the men were done all four memories. They too, stood at the Pensieve not moving as the shock began to settle in. Draco could see Theo slightly tear up, even through his bruised eye, and Blaise; Blaise looked to have been hit in the gut by a bludger.

"So…so that is what your mother meant by almost getting you killed?" Blaise finally spoke not looking away from the water. "Pansy is the whole reason you had to go through…that test?" He turned to face Draco. "You almost died because that bitch couldn't control her temper!...I'll kill her!"

"No, you won't Blaise. We've been through enough already. Draco and I don't want you sent to Azkaban because of Pansy. And in all fairness, she didn't know about the stones or that we even both had one." Hermione quickly chimed in.

"I think…I think I'll take that seat now." Theo exclaimed as he walked over to one of the chairs and sat down. He placed his face in his hands as he rested his arms on his knees.

"That doesn't excuse the fact that she still caused a scene and pushed you, leading to this whole event…Wait…Draco what about Astoria?" Blaise asked in concern.

"What about her?"

"Well you didn't exactly…let her down gently. Her family isn't going to be happy about any of this. The Greengrass's are major investors of Malfoy Inc. You are going to lose a lot of wizarding clients because of this."

"I…I didn't really think about that…shit! What am I going to do?" he sighed while gliding his fingers through his hair as he lean up against the desk.

"We'll think of something. Right now, I am more worried about Pansy getting revenge. She was just embarrassed in front of everyone, slapped by not only Ginny, but twice by Mrs. Malfoy, and then kicked out of the party, all in one night." Hermione answered looking worryingly at the group.

"She has a point." Theo stated lifting his head from his hands "Pansy is definitely going to want revenge and not everyone in the wizarding community is going to take this news as gracefully as we all did. If you guys plan to stay together and get married, you are asking for a lot of trouble to come your way."

"Well," Harry stepped forward. "We aren't going to figure all this out in one night. It has been a long night and I am sure after your adventure, you both are tired. Why don't we get some rest and talk about it in the morning? Nott, Zabini…Malfoy…I can't believe I am saying this, but…you are all welcome to stay at our place for the night and we can sort everything out in the morning. There are plenty of rooms at Grimmauld Place and as an Auror; it is my duty to make sure you two," He pointed to Draco and Hermione "are safe from the press and anyone wanting revenge for your little scene earlier. Hermione doesn't have a choice because I will do whatever it takes to make sure she is safe and I am positive after watching that last memory, that she won't stay unless you are there too."

"And why can't we stay at my flat? I have plenty of wards up to protect it. No one is getting in there." Draco questioned crossing his arms again.

"Because, my place not only has the protection of the four of us, if Nott and Zabini come; but it still has the wards that were placed by the Order of the Phoenix. It is also likely the press will swarm your flat and Malfoy Manor."

"And who's to say they won't swamp your place too?"

"No one, but I can protect you better under my roof." Harry stated firmly.

"Draco? Please, let's just stay at Harry's for the night and we will work everything out tomorrow. I am tired and I want to lie down." Hermione mentioned calmly.

"Fine." He looked at Harry uncrossing his arms and leaned off the desk "But I am only doing it for her. This is not a permanent situation." He rose a finger "One night, and then I am moving her into my place, is that clear?"

"Crystal." Harry replied before looking back and forth between Draco's friends. "What about you guys? You in?"

The pair nodded their heads yes before making their way to the exit. The rest of the group followed suit after Harry packed up the Pensieve and walked down the corridor. They ended up having to sneak by the Great Hall to avoid the crowd who was itching to ask the couple questions, and walked out the front doors. Once they reached the gate, the group paired off to apparate. Ginny took the hands of Theo and Blaise, while Harry took the hands of Hermione and Draco.

"Don't get too comfortable holding hands with me Potter. I don't like you like that." Draco joked with a smirk.

"But you admit that you do like me in some way?" He retorted with a smirk of his own.

Draco rolled his eyes and Hermione let out a giggle.

"You're alright, I guess. Can we just get this over with already? I don't want to hold hands with you any longer than I have to."

"I don't know, Malfoy? I think I'd like to hold your hand a little bit longer. They are so soft and supp-"

"Finish that sentence, Potter and you'll find yourself in St. Mungo's!" Draco yelled as he ripped his hand out of Harry's.

"I am only messing with you, learn to take a joke."

"I can take a joke! Yours just aren't funny!"

"Can we get this show on the road please?" Ginny yelled out "My feet are killing me in these heels and if you both don't shut your traps and stop bickering, I will hex you both so hard, you'll be sneezing out bats until Christmas!"

The two men stopped arguing immediately and Draco quickly took back Harry's hand. Ginny apparated her group first and Harry a few minutes later; giving the first group time to get out of the way of the front steps they just descended on. Draco quickly pulled his hand out of Harry's grasp and waited for him to lead them through the front door.

Harry led them up the narrow stairs and showed Blaise and Theo to their rooms. Hermione said her goodnights to Harry and Ginny before walking a few doors down the hallway to where she was staying. Draco followed her into the room and plopped himself backwards on to the bed.

"I am exhausted." She claimed as she let out a deep sigh and threw herself backwards onto the bed opposite Draco; their heads lying next to each other as they stared up at the ceiling. Draco turned his head to face his upside down fiancée and pecked her on the side of her chin. She turned to face him and lifted her head slightly to kiss him on the lips.

She pulled back after a few seconds but looked at him warmly.

"You really want me to move in with you? It seems a little sudden?" she asked skeptically.

"This whole relationship is sudden." He replied looking up and down her face. "But I can't be without you. You are my home Hermione and I want you to live with me. I won't force you to move in but I would like it if you did."

She let out a gentle smile as she said okay and kissed him on the forehead.

"That is my move, you can't steal it from me!" he joked.

"I just did." She chuckled before sitting herself up. "We should change and get ready for bed. We have another long day ahead of us." She moved to stand and walked over to the vanity.

Draco too sat up and watched as she charmed off her makeup and let her hair fall down her shoulders. He was amazed by her beauty and couldn't look away. He stood up and walked over to her; placing his hands on her shoulders and looked at her through the mirror.

"You are beautiful, you know that?" he stated kissing the top of her head.

She let off a smile as she began to brush her hair. He step back and began to remove his suit. Once he was just in his boxers, he climbed into bed and pulled the covers up. Hermione wasn't far behind after removing her dress and put on some pajama shorts and a tank top she pulled out of the dresser drawer. She turned out the lights and tucked herself into bed. He reached out to pull her close to him and she instantly buried her head in his chest. He held on to her tightly, not ever wanting to let her go.

Draco no longer worried about the press or the reaction of the public or even Malfoy Inc. The fact that his now fiancée was in his arms, in the present, and the most important people in their lives accepted them, made everything else fade into the background.

 _'He finally had her…and he gets to keep her. This moment right now, is all he had ever dreamed of since that night he saw the couple fighting outside a pub. His one and only wish had come true. He finally gets to do all the things he ever wanted to do with her. He gets to marry her, have a family with her, and grow old with her. She WAS his destiny...And nothing and no one, is going to ever take her from him."_

"Goodnight, little cub." He whispered with a small smile.

"Goodnight, Draco." She replied gently.

He felt the smile from her lips against his chest and his heart began to beat faster. He kissed the top of her head and looked up to the ceiling; letting out a deep breath.

 _'He was finally…happy.'_

Draco closed his eyes and images of Hermione flashed in his mind, lulling him off to sleep.

 **Sunday, April 7** **th** **, 2001 09:45am**

Hermione woke to light tapping on her bedroom door. She looked around the room from where she lay and realized Draco was spooning her. She looked up at the clock on the night stand and saw it was almost ten in the morning. Letting out a deep sigh, she gently lifted Draco's arm off her side and slowly eased herself out of the bed. Tiptoeing to the door, she opened it slightly to see who was knocking. Once she realized it was Ginny, she opened the door all the way.

"Hey." She whispered rubbing her eye with the heel of her palm.

"Hey yourself, sleepy head." Ginny whispered back. "We all kind of slept in some. I was just about to wake Nott and Zabini. Harry is in the kitchen making breakfast and it should be ready shortly, so if you could wake Malfoy…" she let her sentence trail.

"Okay, thanks Gin." She smiled.

Ginny turned to leave but Hermione quickly stopped her.

"Wait Gin…I wanted to thank you, you know, for accepting Draco. It means a lot to me that you and Harry are okay with us being together."

"Oh, Mione, of course. You are our sister; we want you to be happy. Us not accepting Malfoy would tear our friendship apart and I don't want to lose you because I can't get over a grudge from school. He has definitely changed and is very protective of you. I may not fully like him, but he's growing on me. Plus, I am about to gain another brother who isn't always a git and can actually put up a fight…Don't tell him I said that!"

"Too late Weaselette; I already heard everything." Draco yawned as he walked up behind Hermione. "You're not so bad yourself, I guess."

Ginny's shocked face made Hermione burst out laughing. She needed that laugh. She missed her friends and she was happy they accepted her relationship. For a moment, she forgot about the rest of the world as the trio laughed together in the doorway.

 _'If only it could stay like this forever.'_

"Gin! Did you wake everyone up yet?" Harry shouted from the bottom of the stairs. "Breakfast is ready!"

Before anyone had a chance to answer, two doors down the hallway swung open quickly as Blaise and Theo poked their heads out.

"Did I hear breakfast is ready?" Theo asked, eagerly sniffing the air.

"I have prepared for this day for so long. Harry Potter has made us breakfast!" Blaise sarcastically announced cheerfully. "It's a dream come true!"

Both men looked at each other after making their statement before quickly rushing to the stairs in their disheveled suits; pushing each other to get to the bottom first. The trio let out a chuckle before Ginny said her farewell and walked towards the stairs. Hermione turned around and closed the door.

Draco put back on his suit but instead of being proper, he left the top unbuttoned revealing his white shirt underneath and rolled up his sleeves. The dark mark was noticeable but he didn't seem to care. He kept the bottom half of his shirt untucked and slipped on his socks. Hermione went to her dresser and pulled out some jeans and a blue blouse. Once they were dressed, they made their way down stairs hand in hand, and walked into the crazy kitchen.

"Hey! Stop stealing all the bacon!" Theo yelled at Blaise from across the table.

"You took most of the egg! It's only fair!" Blaise yelled back.

"Guys! There is plenty to go around." Harry interjected as he set two more plates of bacon and eggs on the table while shaking his head and letting off a slight chuckle.

"It smells delicious Harry!" Hermione stated with a smile as she looked at all the food on the table.

"Thanks! Help yourselves. These to already have." He laughed.

Hermione pulled Draco to the table and they sat down. She handed him a plate and began to dig in. Draco seemed a little out of place as he stared at the group surrounding him.

"What's wrong?" Hermione asked a little concerned.

"Nothing, it's just…well it's weird, you know? Three Slytherin's and three Gryffindor's sitting around a table in Potter's house, eating breakfast, laughing, and getting along. I am really starting to believe I have been thrown into a different universe." He chuckled.

"Well believe it Malfoy! I have a feeling this isn't going to be the last time this happens." Ginny chimed in before taking bite of her toast.

"Why do I have a feeling that you're right?" he laughed as he started to fill his plate.

"Because, I am always right." She stated proudly.

"What is it with Gryffindor's and always thinking they are right?" Theo asked with a full mouth.

"Because we are." Hermione retorted with a smile.

The group ate as they laughed and joked about old times at Hogwarts and finished their breakfast. Hermione couldn't help but feel elated. Never in her life had she imagined this scenario ever happening, but she was glad for the distraction. It took her mind off their future problems and helped her ease her thoughts about the tragic events of the past.

She helped Ginny wash the dishes afterwards as the rest of the men cleared the table. After the mess from breakfast had been dealt with, the group sat back down at the table and began to discuss possible outcomes from the announcement made last night.

"So what are you going to do about Malfoy Inc.?" Blaise asked leaning his arms on the table.

"I have no idea. We lose that many clients and the company would struggle to stay afloat." Draco replied leaning back in his chair defeated.

"Are you going to apologize to the Greengrass's? It might be a start at fixing all of this." Blaise continued.

"It's worth a shot I guess."

"What if you changed the way the company runs?" Hermione chimed in.

"What? What do you mean?" Draco asked confused.

"I mean, it's a long shot, but what if you incorporated muggle technology into the wizarding world? You would gain a huge following from wizards and witches who aren't pureblood. Maybe even from some those are. The wizarding community is far behind on the times and I am sure if you modified a few things that muggles use, it would not only put Malfoy Inc. on the map, again but it could replace all the clients you would lose. Some might even stay due to the technology that you could develop."

"That actually sounds like a good plan Granger." Blaise announced. "That just might work. You would need to research different things muggles use that can be incorporated into the community but your net might actually grow ten times the amount in a year or two."

Draco tightened a frown as he pondered the thought; he actually seems to like the idea.

"And I can help you! I know all about the muggle world." Hermione added happily.

"I can help too." Harry interjected. "I grew up in that world as well, so I know my fair share."

Draco looked stun by Harry's offer but nodded his head and leaned his arms on the table.

"Thanks. That would be a big help."

"Okay," Ginny began "now that that is settled, let's move on to-"

A loud banging knock was suddenly heard at the front door. The group jumped at the sound but Ginny quickly stood up and walked out of the kitchen.

"I JUST PUSHED PASSED A HORDE OF REPORTERS TO GE HERE AND FOR SOME REASON, I WASN'T ALLOWED TO ENTER MY OWN SISTERS HOME!"

"Shit!" Harry stated as he stood up quickly from his chair.

'WHERE IS SHE? I KNOW SHE HAS BEEN STAYING WITH YOU!"

"RON!" Ginny called out "Wait! Stop!"

She didn't have time to stop the man who stormed passed her and made his way to the kitchen. He stopped suddenly however, when he saw the group surrounding the table.

"Well, isn't this cozy!" Ron announced in disgust.

"Ronald! I can explain everything-" Hermione began, standing up from her chair quickly.

"Explain everything? Everything like you and Malfoy being on the front cover of the Daily Profit, KISSING! Saying that you are getting fucking MARRIED! That everything Hermione?"

"Ron. It's…Yes, we are getting married. It's a long-"

"I DON'T WANT TO BLOODY HEAR IT! IT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN! I FORBID IT!" he screamed.

Hermione was thrown back a second but quickly shook off the face of shock and turned it into anger.

"RONALD BILLIUS WEASLEY! How dare you! You have no right to tell me who I can and cannot be with! I choose to be with Draco! You left ME, remember? You walked out and told me you couldn't make me happy, well I'll tell you what! Draco makes me happy! I love him and I am going to marry him, WITH OR WITHOUT YOUR PERMISSION!"

"LIKE HELL YOU ARE!"

"OKAY, ENOUGH!" Ginny interrupted as she placed herself in between Ron and Hermione.

Everyone was now standing and looking on as the two friends were breathing heavily in anger.

"We are not doing this! You two are grown adults! Ron, you can't dictate what Hermione does in her life! You two are not together! She chose Malfoy so get over it! It is a long story, one I personally don't think anyone wants to have to explain right now; we don't need you barging in here, adding more drama to their already full plates!"

Ron looked at his sister with a sickening expression before he looked up. His eyes focused on one person, but Hermione realized too late that it wasn't her he was staring down; it was Draco.

"YOU!" he shouted with a beat red face.

She didn't have time to react before he pushed past Ginny and practically threw Hermione to the ground to get to Draco. She saw him land a hard punch into the blondes face as she turned around. He was instantly swarmed by the rest of the men in the room and pushed back against the wall. He kicked and screamed but Hermione tuned him out as she ran over to Draco, who was now lying on the ground holding his nose.

"Draco! Draco are you alright?" She asked panicked as she tried looking at his face.

Blood was seeping out of his hands as he moaned in agony on the floor. She quickly stood up and grabbed a cloth napkin off the counter and rushed back over to him.

"Here put this on your face!"

He quickly grabbed the napkin and placed it on his nose. Once Hermione realized he would be okay, she stood up and grabbed her wand off the table. She rushed at Ron who was still being held back by the three men. She pushed Harry out of the way, and pointed her wand at Ron's throat.

"WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?" she angrily screamed.

"Mione NO!" Ginny yelled out as she reached out to stop her.

She ignored her friend, shrugging her off her arm, as she concentrated all her anger at Ron.

"GIVE ME ONE GOOD REASON I SHOULDN'T HEX YOU RIGHT NOW!"

Ron seemed terrified as he looked down at her wand.

"Mione?" he questioned sadly.

"DON'T! DON'T YOU DARE CALL ME THAT! YOU DON'T GET TO CALL ME THAT ANYMORE!" she screamed at him.

She saw Harry from the corner of her eye as he walked away from the scene and helped Draco sit up to move him to the chair behind her. She pulled her focus back to Ron and stared him down.

"You left me!" she continued. "And you didn't talk to me for a whole year! A YEAR Ronald! You don't get to come in here yelling and screaming at me for the choices I made and you most CERTAINLY do not get to punch my fiancé!" She paused for a moment as her eyes started to water. She lowered her wand and looked down at the ground. "You broke so much more than just our relationship that night… You broke me." She looked back up at him. "You can't go blaming other people for your mistakes and you don't get to be mad at Draco for fixing what you broke!"

"But its Malfoy for crying out loud Mio-Hermione!" Ron began slightly calm. "He tormented you all throughout Hogwarts! He is the reason Dumbledore is dead! He is the reason for that scar on your arm! He-"

"You think I don't know that?" she cut in "Everyone here knows that and somehow still found a way to forgive him; to give him another chance! The past may shape us Ron, but it doesn't define who we are or who we become. I have long forgiven him for his mistakes; he has changed and he has apologized to me for everything he and his family as ever done to me."

"Apologized? He is a slimy no good Slytherin! He probably said or did whatever he could to get into your pants! He is trying to fix his tarnished reputation by fooling you into thinking he loves you! Stop defending that entitled low life!" Ron spat with venom.

"HE SAVED MY LIFE!" She screamed in anger.

"What?" Ron asked slightly thrown back.

"Yes Ronald, you heard that correctly! He…saved…my…life! If he was acting like the old Malfoy and a slimy Slytherin, as you put it, than he would have just let me die! But he didn't. He saved me because he actually cares about me!"

"I have no bloody clue what you are talking about but I guarantee you, he saved you because he couldn't lose his one chance to fix his name! What did he offer you Hermione? Hm? Is it his money? Is that why you're choosing him over me? You want his bloody money?"

Hermione stood in shock for a second before quickly closing the gap between her and Ron and slapped him hard across the face.

"How dare you!" She hissed. "If you honestly think that, than you never knew me at all!"

"I think," Harry stepped up and pull Hermione away. "We are done here for now. Everyone needs to just collect themselves before I let this argument continue…Ron, I think you should leave for now."

"Are you fucking kidding me Harry? You're taking that evil cockroach's side? Why doesn't he leave? No one wants him here!"

"Actually Ron, we all want him here. It is just you who is still holding a grudge." Harry retorted crossing his arms.

"Harry! He is a bully!"

"He WAS a bully! He has grown up since the war…maybe you should too."

"He put you all under a curse or something! This is bullocks! We hate him!"

"We don't hate him Ron. Not anymore." Ginny interjected calmly. "And if you want to find a way to save your friendship with Hermione, than you have to look past all the bad he has done in his life and move on. No one is asking you to like him. We are just asking you to understand that he is not the same boy since the war. If you can't do that, then you are going to lose a lot more than just Hermione. If we can forgive him…why can't you?"

Ron was struck speechless as he looked around at his friends. Hermione couldn't take looking at him anymore and turned on her heels to check on Draco. He was sitting in a chair with his head tilted back, holding the napkin on his face. He lowered his head to look at her and tried to smile but winced at the pain. She frowned as she crouched in front of him, ignoring the conversation going on behind her, and cupped his face in her hands.

"I am so sorry Draco. I didn't mean for this to happen." she stated softly.

He reached out a hand and tenderly touched her cheek with the back of his knuckles. He removed the napkin from his bloody face and looked her in the eye.

"I would never use you little one. I hope you know that." he stated worryingly.

She nodded here head in affirmation and leaned in; kissing the center of his forehead.

"I know…Come on, let's get you cleaned up."

She stood up and helped Draco out of the room. She passed by Ron but she couldn't bring herself to look at him. Instead she carried on, pretending he wasn't there and walked Draco to the downstairs bathroom.


	29. Chapter 29- Happiness Can Be Found

Chapter 29- Happiness Can Be Found

 **Saturday, April 7** **th** **, 2001 12:13pm**

Draco sat on the toilet seat in the small guest bathroom, as Hermione finished cleaning his face up from the dried blood. His nose was definitely broken but he didn't care. Hermione not only just stood up for him earlier, but her friends did as well. If it wasn't for them, he would have killed the Weasel for touching him.

 _'He understood though, where Ron was coming from but it didn't make him dislike him any less. After that punch, he most definitely liked him less. But the Weasel was still one of Hermione's best friends and he figured he had to find a way to try and get along with the stupid fool.'_

"Now," Hermione began interrupting his thoughts. "Let's fix that nose of yours."

She took her wand off the sink and pointed it at his nose.

"What? You don't like my face with a crooked nose?" he joked.

She let out a slight chuckle. "I'd like your face even if you didn't have a nose. Now hold still…Episkey."

His nose felt very hot and then very cold as the cartilage aligned itself back into place.

"Thanks." He muttered, feeling his repaired nose.

"Draco, I really am sorry for what Ron did. He had no right to-"

"No," he cut her off lifting a hand and looked at her. "He had every right to do what he did; not that I enjoyed it, but I can see where he was coming from. He doesn't know anything about what happened between us or what happened at the ball. All he knows is what the Daily Profit told him and what he remembers about me in school."

"Are you kidding me? He should have at least given me some credit and thought about why I chose you. He shouldn't have hit you and he shouldn't have assumed I wanted you for just your money. I don't care about money." She leaned back against the wall in front of him. "It's not fair that everyone else gets to be happy and when I finally am able to do exactly what they are doing…I get yelled at and criticized."

Draco stood up and looked at his fiancée; grabbing her hands in his and began to caress his thumb across the back of her hands.

"Hermione, I am not saying what he did was right." He bent his knees a little and tilted his head to look into her eyes better. "I am simply saying I know why he did it and you shouldn't have to apologize for his actions. Everyone in this house knows you aren't with me for my money. I am sure even if I was completely broke, you would still be with me. He probably just said that because he realized he was losing the argument, but don't let what he said hurt you. You can be happy regardless of what anyone else thinks; I am, and to be quite honest the only person whose opinion matters to me, is yours." He lifted a hand and tilted her face up to look at him. "He is angry and upset that he lost you and more importantly, lost you to me. But please don't take his crude words to heart. I would never use you and I would never purposely hurt you. You are not in this for my money and I know that…I can't believe I am defending that Weasel, but…you have to see it from his perspective. Would you have acted the same way if it was announced he was marrying Pansy out of nowhere?"

She looked up at him with a defeated expression and let out a breath.

"No, you're right. I would have blown a gasket. I wouldn't have hit her though but I know men act differently when threatened. I am still sorry this all happened."

"I knew what I was getting into Hermione, when I chose you. I am not going back now, nor will I ever. I told you that first night, remember? 'You'll just have to trust me, I promise I won't leave and I promise this isn't some game.' I want you, only you, forever. I want to marry you and have a family and grow old, with you. I don't care if that means we have to move to a different continent to make you happy and get away from the drama. I will do it. I'll do anything for you."

She leaned her head into his chest so he wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head.

"This all seems weird doesn't it?" She began as she looked towards. "Two weeks ago I hated you and you hated me…and now we are in love and engaged and I almost hexed my own friend while my other friends defended you. Being back just seems so…foreign. I wish we didn't have to deal with the aftermath but I know there is no escaping it…I feel like everything we have been through, should have taken years, not a mere fourteen days." She looked up at him. "But I wouldn't change it for the world, because if I did…I wouldn't have you."

He smiled down on her and placed a gentle kiss on her lips.

"Come on, we should head back out." He smiled pulling back from the kiss. "Unless you have other ideas?" he winked.

She let out a chuckle as she lightly hit him in the chest. "Not everything is about sex!"

"No…but it is a plus." He grinned.

He landed a quick peck on her lips before he moved to open the door, but a very frightened Theo stood in their path.

"Theo?" Hermione asked in surprise as Theo looked back and forth between the two. "What is it? What's wrong?"

"You two…might want to come see this." He uttered worryingly.

The couple followed him to the living room and Draco saw the rest of the group staring out the main window. Ron was seated on one of the couches in the middle of the room with his arms folded, giving off dirty looks to Draco but he didn't care. He was more concerned about the loud noise he was hearing from outside.

He walked to the window with Hermione in tow and looked out at the horde of reporters, all fighting each other to get a glimpse of the couple.

"THERE THEY ARE!" he heard a man shout out.

Realizing they were trying to take their picture, Draco quickly grabbed Hermione in a hug and turned her around so his back now faced the crowd. He looked around at the group with a worried face as the flashes from cameras lit up the room. Harry rushed to the window and closed the curtains, but Draco could still hear the shouting of questions being asked.

"What are we supposed to do? They will swarm us if we step outside. We aren't prepared right now to answer anything." Draco asked in a panic releasing his hold on Hermione.

"I'll put the charm up that makes the house invisible to everyone but you would still have to be careful leaving. They won't just go away because they can't see the place anymore. Maybe you all should just stay here another night or at least until they get tired and leave."

"That could be days Potter!"

"I know, I know, but it doesn't look like you have much of a choice here. Even if you floo'd to your place there will likely be more press there. We need to figure this out now before this gets out of hand. I won't risk Hermione being caught in the middle of all this."

"You think I want her to go through this either!"

"She," Hermione cut in "Is right here!"

"I am not saying that Malfoy!" Harry claimed, ignoring her "I am simply saying we need to work this out now. We need to come up with a plan to get the press to back off for a bit."

"Why not do an interview?" Ron cut in.

Everyone stopped talking and looked in shock at the red head relaxing on the couch with his arms now stretched out over the back. He not only just came up with a clever idea but the fact that he was even talking about helping Draco, is what really had them all stunned.

"I am not saying this to help you Malfoy. You are one of the reasons Fred is dead and I still hate you!" he spat coldly.

"RON!" Ginny yelled out. "Do not use Fred as an excuse for you being pissed about Hermione choosing Malfoy over you! He would be ashamed of you!" she retorted in outrage.

"Sorry but it's true and I for one, am not going to let Hermione deal with that shit out there!"

"No one wants her to and no one is going to let her, so just stop." Harry begged.

"I, am still, right here!" Hermione stated in aggravation.

"Fine…but as I was saying." He turned back to Draco and Hermione "Sit down with one," he lifted his hand from his crossed arms and held up one finger to press his point. "One news agency, and tell them your story. It doesn't have to be the whole thing but you have to give them something. Reporters are ruthless; they will lie and manipulate everything unless you talk. You give it to one and the rest will attack them for getting the information before they could. Eventually they will come to ask you for interviews and get their own version of the tale, once they reconfigure new questions to ask, but it will buy you some time to sort everything out."

"He's right." Blaise stated. "Everyone will be focused on that interview; it will give you some time to get things in order; at least a day or two. You can figure out what your next move will be and apologize to the Greengrass's. You need to do that anyway, before you change the way Malfoy Inc. is run. People know your family has changed your views and that will help in the long run, but if you don't tell them that you are least not cursed or under a spell of any kind, then they are going to lie to the masses like they did with Potter all those years ago."

"How do you even know all this Weasley?" Draco asked somewhat rudely.

"BECAUSE! My family had to go through the same shit when Fred died during the war! It was always how are you doing now? And what is like living without the second twin around? How is George holdn' up?-"

"Okay Ron, we get it…Look, I'll vouch that we tested you and you both are clear, giving-" Harry began.

"Why not just test them?" Ron angrily interrupted as he stood up. "Why lie? I'd like to make sure they are a hundred percent cleared of any love spells before they do anything."

"I have my reasons Ron but if you want proof, I am certain Malfoy here and Hermione will be glad to show you." Harry retorted.

"I don't want to see them all lovey dovey! It's bad enough to see you do that with my sister! I don't need a reminder of how I lost the only girl I ever loved to this ferret!"

"That isn't what he means Weasley." Blaise stated in annoyance. "He means that they can show you their memories. The same memories everyone in this room, including the older Malfoy's and the Minister, has already seen. The memories that actually helped us all come to terms with how any of this even happened."

"Memories? What are you talking about? I don't want to see memories of them falling in love! I just said that! Were you not listening to a word I said?"

"Weasley!" Blaise rolled his eyes in irritation "Oh for the love of, that is not what I am talking about!"

"Then what are you talking about?" he yelled in frustration.

"They were thrown into the past…" Theo answered calmly. "They were stuck in the past and went through something horrible. It's why they are together. They hated each other at the ball but then a few moments later, came back from the past loving each other. It's crazy, I know, but you have to see what happened. You have to understand."

"What? Have you all lost your minds? That sounds so bloody stupid! And why am I taking advice from two Slytherin's?"

"Ronald!" Ginny yelled out at him again, as she placed herself in front of her brother. "I swear, if you don't at least try to save your friendship with you best friend, I will tell mum everything you have done so far! Including punching Malfoy!"

Ron flinched at Ginny's threat.

"You wouldn't?...Mum would kill me!"

"Then fix this! Watch the memories and understand; that is all we are asking for you to do!"

"Fine!...but, don't tell mum on me."

"I won't! But then you have to watch the memories and then apologize to both Mione and Malfoy."

"I am not apologizing to that git!" he claimed in disgust.

"You will! And you will want to after watching what he did and what they went through. Trust me."

"I am trusting that I won't apologize to him ever! Now, let's just get this done and over with."

Ginny frowned but accepted his statement and looked to Harry who was peeking around the curtain.

"We better do this fast." He stated. "More reports have figured out you aren't at home or at the Manor. I'll get the Pensieve and the memories. Blaise, Theo, if you and Ginny could escort Ron upstairs and show him everything while I talk with Draco and Hermione. We need to set up an interview and figure out what they are going to say." He ordered pulling himself away from the window.

Everyone in the room just stared at him with mouths gaping open.

"What?" Harry asked confused.

"You just…You just called everyone by their given names." "Theo expressed through his shock.

Harry shrugged like it was nothing. "Well I figured I might as well start now seeing as you are not only staying in my house, but the fact that these two are together, makes me feel like we are going to see a lot of each other." he explained before walking out of the room.

"You all heard that right?" Theo asked looking around at everyone. "No, seriously…I am not losing my mind right? He did actually call us by our first names?"

"Yes Theo, you are not going crazy." Blaise rolled his eyes.

Harry came back a few minutes later with the Pensieve and four vials. He handed them to Ginny before taking a seat on the couch Ron previously sat at. The rest of the group went upstairs as Draco and Hermione sat on the couch opposite of Harry; looking at him from across the coffee table.

"I floo'd some more Aurors for back up to help with the crowd. They should arrive shorty just outside to clear everyone out. So, while we wait for them do that, let's first start with what newspaper you want to have interview you." Harry began.

"What about the Quibbler? It has become quite popular since I arranged for Rita Skeeter 's interview with you to be placed in it."

"That was years ago Hermione. "Draco replied calmly "Not many still read it because a year after the war, Lovegood's father went back to writing about made up creatures no one cares about. Why not do the Daily Prophet instead? It's the biggest one out there and it would spread the word faster than anyone else." Draco suggested.

"Daily Prophet would be my pick as well. Witch Weekly would be a close second." Harry added.

"But the Prophet lies! And I would rather help Luna's family."

"The Prophet has the largest followers and we will make sure they tell the story correctly. As much as I want to make you happy, we have to do what is logical here." Draco claimed.

"This is still really weird; you being so nice…But," Harry slapped his hands on his knees as he sat up. "It is just something that is going to take a while to get used to. Anyway, let's go over the questions they will ask."

X

 **Saturday, April 7** **th** **, 2001 03:48pm**

Hermione's legs were folded under her as she sat near the end of the couch drinking her hot cocoa. Draco was pacing in front of the fireplace thinking hard. She, Draco, and Harry had just spent the last two and half hours or so; going over different possible answers for the questions they could be asked. The Aurors, as promised, temporarily minimized the crowd outside making it easier to concentrate on their answers.

They had come to the conclusion that they couldn't show the whole wizarding world their memories. Not only would it be impossible to show them as a whole, but also tiring to show each individual person. Draco and Hermione also just wanted to keep the memories of the past a secret; only showing those most important to them, so they decided to stretch the truth; so to speak.

Harry had stepped out for a moment to floo the Daily profit and set up a meeting to get an exclusive from the couple. He also was going to speak to the Malfoy's who they all hoped, would contact the Greengrass's.

"Okay," Harry began looking exhausted as he stood in the archway of the living room. "So tomorrow at eleven am we are going to apparate to the headquarters of the Daily Profit, do your interview, and then move you both to the Manor. The Greengrass's have accepted a meeting there at one pm sharp. They aren't happy with the way you handled things last night. They want an explanation or they are talking to the other investors and their clients and pulling them from the company. You had better make sure whatever you say is good Malfoy. Otherwise no matter what you do…"

"Yeah, I know…The Company will crash." Draco finished.

Hermione noticed Blaise had walked up behind Harry looking rather amused. Draco had stopped pacing and Harry slightly turned to look at the dark skinned Slytherin.

"So, how'd it go?" Harry asked Blaise.

"Well, after the third memory, he ran to the bathroom and threw up, then did it again after the last memory. It was quite funny after the second time because he didn't make it and Ginny almost hexed him for puking in a vase in the hallway. He's still pissed though, and refuses to apologize to Draco due to his stubbornness, but…I think he understands now. Everyone should be down in a minute. They are just cleaning up the mess he made."

Just then, Theo, Ginny, and Ron walked into the room. Ginny looked furious and Theo wouldn't stop laughing as he walked across the room and plopped himself on to the couch Hermione was sitting on. Ron looked disheveled and upset but made his way to sit on the couch opposite of Theo.

Hermione was still angry at Ron for the things he said and for punching Draco, so she refused to look at him. Instead she looked at the every so happy Theo still laughing on the other end of the couch. Once he finally calmed down Ron cleared his throat and looked to her.

"Hermione?" He began cautiously.

She still refused to look at him but she was listening as she looked down at her mostly empty mug. Everyone else in the room was silent and looking that the man who had caused a massive scene only hours ago.

"I…I am sorry for what I said to you…I was angry and confused and I'm sorry. I didn't know. Please forgive me. I don't want to lose you in my life. I would rather be friends with you then to not have you at all. Please Hermione…I'm sorry."

"And what about punching my fiancé?" she questioned finally lifting her head to look at him. "What about the harm you caused him?"

"I…I can't apologize for that. He has done so much in the past to us. What he did for you and the things he went through during your time in 1912, doesn't change what he has done to me and my family. I can't apologize for that punch because I still believe he deserved it."

"He's not evil Ron. He was led down a wrong path and has seen the errors of his wa-"

"Hermione?" Draco cut in. "It's okay." He looked at Ron. "Look, Weasley, I can't take back what I did in school. I know nothing I do will change how I treated you and your family." He took a deep breath in and placed his hands in his pockets. "I deserved the punch; now if you ever try that again I will kill you but," He raised a hand "I do know why you did it. I am not saying I forgive you for your actions; hurting your best friend like that, but what younger me has done to you…to all of you." He looked at Ginny and Harry. "I have been trying to change the past four years but it wasn't until I was stuck in different time with Hermione, that I realized I didn't change the way I wanted to. She saved me in more ways than one. She helped me grow as a person and see that the way I was trying to change myself…wasn't enough. I had to do more, and I will. I want to speak to your family directly and tell them my side, but first, I want to tell you that I know I am the cause of your brother's death. If it wasn't for my actions as a worthless Death Eater, he would probably still be alive. I can't imagine what it is like to lose a sibling but I know I would die if I ever lost my mother…I am not asking for you to forgive me and I am not asking for you to like me, but I know if you plan to stay in Hermione's life, then we have to find a way to get along. I feel it is my responsibly to accept that Fred's death is on my hands. I want you to know though, that I did visit his grave everyday once your family left. I placed a rose on the headstone each time and sat and talked with him for hours…I won't make excuses for myself however; I know what I did was wrong…Hermione once told me; 'Let go of the past, but keep the lessons it taught you. Sometimes you just have to forgive…but not forget.'…I can't bring your brother back and I won't stop loving Hermione, but I am willing to let go of past grudges and move on. I…" He sighed "I am truly sorry Ron…for everything."

Ron looked at Draco in shock. The rest of the room was speechless that Draco just admitted his faults and sincerely apologized. No one knew what to do or what to say. Hermione teared up and realized that Draco had not only changed for her, but he had changed for himself. He was no longer the same person he was years ago. He was now someone who could admit he was wrong and take responsibility for it.

"I…I" Ron stammered not looking away from the blonde Slytherin. "Thank you." was all he said as a tear ran down his freckled cheek.

Draco nodded his head and looked over at Hermione. She placed a smile on her face in gratitude as she looked up at her fiancé. He smiled back at her before she turned her head and looked at Ron.

"Ron, I forgive you for what you said to me and how you have acted today. I even forgive you for not speaking to me for a year. Now I know you have your reasons and I am not looking for an explanation; I just want you to know that if you want to be friends with me again, you have to accept my choices and you have to be in my life, not far away and never speaking to me. That is not a friendship. I want my best friend back; the old Ron who used to make me laugh and tell me how much of a know-it-all I was being. The one who, even though I was annoying, would still protect me and love me for me. The Ron that trusted me and accepted that I knew what I was doing. I know Draco isn't someone you hoped would be in our lives but he is…and I love him."

"I know Mione. I…I know it is going to take some getting used to, but I want to be that old Ron again. I am willing to accept Malfoy if it means we get to be friends again."

Hermione set her mug down and stood up. She made her way over to the couch Ron was sitting on and pulled him into a hug.

"We will always be friends you stupid idiot. I love you and I don't ever want to have to fight like that again." She pulled away from him slightly. "I want you at my wedding. It wouldn't be the same without you." She stood up and looked around the room. "Without all of you. You guys are my family…including you two." She pointed to Blaise and Theo. "You all are my friends and I want you all in my life. No matter what happens the next few days we will all stick together."

Everyone nodded their heads in agreement as they looked on at each other.

"Well" Harry clapped his hands together "Now that we are all friends and love each other, let's get dinner started!"

"YES!" Theo shouted in excitement. "I am starving!"

The rest of the group let out laughs as they walked out of the room and into the kitchen. Once Ginny pulled out ingredients to make Lemon Chicken, the group helped cut up the food and set the table. About an hour and a half later; dinner was served and they all sat down to eat. Ron seemed to have cheered up during the cooking and was now having a pleasant conversation with Theo about Quidditch. Blaise and Harry were deep in conversation about the Ministry and Ginny was talking to Draco about the fashion of the early 1900's.

Hermione looked on to the rest of the group and realized that if it wasn't for Pansy's mistake, none of them would be here right now.

 _'She would still be mad at Ron and she never would have gotten to know Blaise and Theo better. There would also be no way she and Draco would be together. She most likely would still be moping in her room, wondering why Ron didn't want to be with her anymore. She probably should thank Pansy for pushing her…she helped her find her family.'_

She smiled at the group of friends as they continued their discussions. She took a bite of her chicken and chimed into the conversation Draco and Ginny were having.

After dinner the group sat around and talked about life. Theo suddenly spoke up and asked to play a game. Harry suggested charades which all the Slytherin's seemed confused by. He explained the rules as they all walked back to the living room and moved the couches out of the way. Most of the group who had not played before, let out groans when he told them no wands were allowed and collected them from everyone; placing them on the mantel of the fireplace. He pulled a box from the top of the book shelf near the window and set it on the coffee table. They split into teams with Hermione acting as judge to even everything out. Blaise, Draco, and Harry on one team and Ginny, Theo, and Ron on the other.

"Now some of you might be thinking that Hermione is going to be bias because Draco is here now. I am sure that is not the case. Remember Hermione. it is gals before pals, us girls have to stick together." Ginny winked.

Warm chuckles filled the room and Draco gave Hermione a soft playful smile. After Ginny's team won the coin toss, Ginny walked passed Hermione and nudged her in the arm.

"Nice coin toss Hermione." She joked.

Hermione rolled her eyes in amusement and whispered the word on the card in her ear. Ginny walked back to the front of the room between the two teams and dramatically blew out a deep breath while shaking her arms; almost as if she was loosening her muscles in preparation. All of a sudden, she opened her eyes and lifted her hands up, pressing her wrists to her chest and slightly crouched. After hobbling around a little, she tossed her head back and let out a _mighty_ growl. Instantly laughter filled the room along with answers coming out from both teams.

"Dog!" Theo yelled out.

"The Womping Willow!" Ron shouted.

"Dementor!" Blaise cried out.

"Voldemort!" Harry screamed.

The group let off a loud laughter at Harry's answer but continued to keep guessing.

"It's easy! She's a dragon!" Draco called out.

Ginny shook her head no so they kept yelling out answers. Finally Harry shouted out the correct one giving his team a point.

"Dinosaur!" he answered above everyone else.

Ginny stopped her motions and jumped up and down in happiness before realizing her team lost the first round and began to frown. She sulked to the couch and sat down with her team in a huff.

"Alright Draco! You're up!" Hermione exclaimed.

"What? Me?" he asked confused.

"Yes you, now come on mate." Theo stated pushing him forward.

He stumbled a little before making his way over to Hermione who already had a card out. He leaned down and she whispered the word on the card in his ear.

"How the hell am I supposed to do that?" He asked with a squinted face as he pulled back.

"I can't help you, sorry." Hermione smiled.

He let out sigh and walked to the front of the room between the two teams. He rolled his eyes before placing the back of his right wrist on his forehead and pointed a finger. He slightly crouched as he lifted his left hand at a forty-five degree angle. He began to prance in place while the rest of the group looked on in confusion.

"Uh, a bunny?" Theo asked confused.

"Oh, it's a Troll!" Ginny cheered.

"An elf!" Ron yelled out.

"Umbridge!" Harry shouted with a chuckle.

Hermione couldn't take it anymore and burst out laughing. She was laughing so hard she started to tear up and her stomach began to hurt.

"I'm sorry." she managed to say through her giggles "That is so bad." She continued to laugh.

"A donkey!" Blaise answered in a fit of laughter.

"It's a unicorn!" Draco angrily yelled out as he fixed himself and crossed his arms in embarrassment.

Hermione stood up still laughing as she walked over to Draco and pulled his face into a kiss.

"It's okay Draco." She giggled as she pulled back. "No one can out act Ginny, she is hard to follow. Also, it probably would have helped if you were on all fours and maybe let out a neigh." She smiled up at him. "You'll do better next time."

"I am NOT doing that again." He stated in frustration as he walked away from her and plopped himself back on the couch with his team.

"If we are doing this we are going to need something to help loosen us up." Ron began before walking out of the room.

He came back in with two fire whiskey bottles in one hand and a tower of shot glasses in the other. Ginny rushed to help him and set the glasses down on the table; sliding one in front of everyone.

"So!" Ginny clapped her hands together. "This might not be as wild as that Third Class party we all witness briefly before both memory holders were too drunk to give out the rest of the details, but!" She held a finger in the air. "We are going to forget past bullshit, play this game, and dance like we have never danced before! I am setting down two rules and two rules only! First rule; no one is to judge anyone in this room. This is a safe space."

"Okay Oprah!" Hermione called out.

"Who is Oprah?" Theo questioned with a raised brow.

"Only the best American Chat show host on the telly! Hermione showed me a few episodes at her parents' house a few months ago. That woman is a legend! I am honored to be compared to her!" Ginny explained a little too dramatically. "Anyway! Rule two; no fighting of any kind. Disagreements are fine and as long as it is a healthy debate, we won't interrupt. However, if I see anyone fighting to the point where friendships will be lost or body parts might be thrown; I will personally see to it that you are hexed into next week. Do I make myself clear?"

The group nodded their heads and Ron poured out seven shots.

"Harry lifted his glass and everyone followed suit.

"Cheers! To new friendships and to old!" he spoke proudly.

"Cheers!" everyone called out in unison with large smiles before gulping back the fire whiskey.

"Alright Ron! You're up!" Hermione stated with a smile as she set her glass down and made her way back over to her chair.

Ron stood up excited and walked over to her. She whispered the word in his ear and he began to follow the lead of the two who went before him. Hermione laughed as he tried to act out a bicycle and realized something major while looking around the room at the people having fun.

 _'At this very moment…she was finally happy.'_


	30. Chapter 30- Aftermath

Chapter 30- Aftermath

 **Sunday, April 8** **th** **, 2001 10:52am**

Draco sat on the loveseat next to Hermione in the office of Betty Braithwaite; the same woman who interviewed Rita Skeeter about her book on Dumbledore many years ago. She sat in an armchair across from them looking rather excited as the makeup team put the finishing touches on the couple. Draco swatted a few hands away, as he felt they were doing too much, and leaned back on the couch; placing his right arm on the back behind Hermione.

Harry had joined them to make sure everything went smoothly while Ginny took care of the rest of the boys at home. Draco and Hermione slowed down on their drinking early in the night but the rest of the group went hard. Ginny basically had to play mother to Blaise, Theo, and Ron once the trio left the house that morning.

A photographer barged into the room looking out of breath and the whole room full of people looked at him as he made his way towards the couple.

"Sorry A'm late." He began in a heavy Scottish accent. "Ye' knew there's a mass of people in the lobby? Ben down there all morn. Ah had to worm me ways through, Ah did, to make it up 'ere."

"That is quite alright, Kalum," Betty stated calmly. "No worries to be had. We still have some time." She gestured her hand to Draco and Hermione." If you would like to begin. I think the lovely couple is ready."

Draco sat up as the photographer walked in front of them. He crouched down and brought his camera to his face.

"If ye' could move in a wee bit closer, ay. There we go. Now holds still."

Draco and Hermione gave a wonderful smile as the man's camera flashed into their eyes. Draco had to blink a few times to get rid of the dots floating around the room before the man spoke again.

"Alright lass, if ye' could give 'em a peck on the cheek now."

Hermione did as she was told and leaned into Draco to place a tender kiss on his cheek as he smiled, slightly looking at her.

"That is true barry. Lass one now. Ifs ye' could, keek at each other and give us a pog?"

"What?" Draco asked confused by what the man said.

"Keek at each other and gives us a pog." He repeated.

"I am still not understanding."

"He wants us to look at each other and kiss." Hermione interjected. "Oliver Wood is Scottish and used to talk like that. Took us awhile to understand him at first, but he got better and changed some of his words so we could all understand." She giggled.

"Oh, okay." Draco replied before turning himself to face Hermione and placed a soft and supple kiss upon her lips.

"Barry, Barry! Right then. Yer all done. Thank ye."

Draco leaned into Hermione to whisper once he faced forward again as the photographer stood up and made his way to stand behind Betty.

"What the hell is a barry?" he asked.

She let out a soft chuckle as she leaned back over.

"It means fantastic or brilliant."

"Ah, okay…weird." He shook his head.

"Alright ladies and gentlemen!" Betty called out. "It is time to begin."

Draco sat up straight as Hermione placed her hands on her lap.

 _'She looks just a proper as she used to sitting at dinner on the Titanic. He had to admit, without the blasted sinking, he had come to miss those days. He almost…almost wanted to go back.'_

"Now Mr. Draco Malfoy," Betty began "As a former Death Eater and pureblood royalty; can you tell us how you came to the decision to marry Ms. Hermione Granger, a muggle-born, instead of a pureblood such as Astoria Greengrass?"

"Easy, I don't know anything about Ms. Greengrass. I want to marry for love and I have known Hermione basically all of my life."

"But our sources tell us that you two hated each other while attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. How is it that you two have come to fall in love?"

"Well, Betty, I think I always had feelings for Hermione. It was just hard for me to express them as a child, so I did what a lot of children do. I picked on her and I teased her-"

"Tormented is what I have heard." Betty interrupted with a slight chuckle.

Draco smiled and shook his head.

"Yes, I guess tormented would be a better word for it. I grew up in a family with prejudices. I wasn't allowed to like someone of Hermione's stature. It wasn't until after the war that my beliefs changed and I no longer cared what anyone thought. We reacquainted a few months ago and I got to know her for her. I fell in love. It did however, take her a little longer to trust me but after that it was smooth sailing." He winked at Hermione so she would reference the pun.

"And how does your family take the news of you two being together? I can't imagine they were happy about it."

"My parents had changed so much after the war. My mother actually accepted Hermione right away. It took a little more for my father to come around but he has also accepted her and they are both happy she is joining the family."

"I see, that is very good news. Now Ms. Granger, as one of the Golden Trio, how have your friends taken the news? Mr. Harry Potter has already informed us that he has accepted the former Death Eater; how have the Weasley's taken the news, and also your own parents? Do they accept the man who was once on the dark side as a future son-in-law?"

"Well," Hermione pipped up. "Ron has finally come to terms with our relationship and supports us. Ginny has as well. We have not told the rest of the family yet but I assume they will be just as welcoming. As for my parents; I haven't told them yet. They don't really know much about Draco and I haven't introduced them yet. I plan to soon but I already know they will love him."

"Good news indeed. Now I have heard some awful tales about you two. Do you both mind clarifying that neither of you have been drugged with a love potion or Imperiused?"

"We have not. Harry here can verify that information and vouch that we have not been put under any potions or spells. He tested us the night of the ball and we have been cleared. The minister as well can verify that information." Hermione replied kindly.

"Thank you for clearing that up. We have also received news, that a Ms. Pansy Parkinson has revealed to several reporters, in public, that you two are faking this relationship to boost each other's statuses. That you, Mr. Malfoy are using Ms. Granger to redeem the Malfoy name after the crimes you and your family have committed during the reign of Lord Voldemort; and that you Ms. Granger are simply trying to use the Malfoy fortune to live a higher class lifestyle. Is any of what Ms. Parkinson said true?"

Draco's face fell as he realized Pansy had already began her revenge. Luckily for him she wasn't considered the brightest when it came to trying to pull one over on him. He was smarter than her when it came to lying and scheming. He already knew her plan would backfire the moment he found out what she was up to.

"Ms. Braithwaite, Ms. Parkinson has had a thing for me since we were eleven years old. I have tried to push her away many times and my two best friends Blaise Zabini and Theodore Nott can confirm that. In fact I am sure the whole school that attended with us could confirm that information. I had tried to rid myself of her for a while but she would not take no for an answer. Her tale of us 'faking" our relationship is a lie. She is trying to pit everyone against us because I chose Hermione over her. She is deeply troubled and I do wish she will get the help she so desperately needs. I am not marrying Hermione to raise the Malfoy name. I am marrying her because I love everything about her, even if my name means nothing anymore."

"And I am not marrying Draco because of his money. Anyone who knows me knows that I do not care about money. Even if I did, both of my parents are dentist and make plenty of money. I would not need the Malfoy fortune to live a luxurious lifestyle. I chose to live a simple life because that is just who I am."

"Off the record." Betty raised a hand to stop the quick quill from writing. "It seems Ms. Parkinson has tried to lead others astray. I do apologize for the question and I want you both to know that this article will be released this evening in, Evening Prophet, as we now call it. I hope that this interview will clear this mess up for you."

"Thank you." the couple said in unison. "We really appreciate that Ms. Braithwaite." Hermione finished.

Betty gave the couple a warm smile before continuing.

"Alright back to the task at hand." she waved her hand again and the quill began to move. "Thank you for clearing that up for us. Now we do have one more important question before we wrap things up. Our sources have told us about what happened at the ball but we want to hear from you Mr. Malfoy. However did you come up with those simply beautiful words for that huge shock of a proposal? You had managed to silence a whole room, creating tears throughout. I bet all the women at the event are feeling jealous at the sweet sentiment. You most likely have all of England's lovely ladies cursing their significant other's to do the same." She chuckled. "What advice would you give to the men out there to help them along?" Betty smiled widely.

Draco let out a small laugh as he pondered the question.

"I was not prepared for a question like that." He chuckled again. "However, if I am to give advice to any man out there it would be to just speak from the heart. All I had to do what look at the love of my life," He turned to look at Hermione who was smiling up at him. "and I knew right then what I wanted to say." The camera flashed but Draco continued to look into Hermione's caramel eyes as he finished answering the question. "I once heard someone say 'If you love someone, you tell them. Even if you're scared that it's not the right thing. Even if you are scared it will cause problems. Even if you are scared it will burn your life to the ground. You say it. You say it loud and you go from there.' I am no longer afraid to tell the world that I am in love with Hermione Granger. She did that for me. She saved me. In every way a person can be saved. "

He felt Hermione squeeze his hand in hers as she smiled at him. She leaned in placing a loving kiss on his lips as a tear rolled down her porcelain cheek. Another flash went off and once the kiss was broken, he turned back to the reporter who was trying her best to cover up the tears that had formed in her eyes. Even Harry was wiping his eyes under his glasses with his hand.

"Well," Betty sniffed as she wiped her face with a tissue the photographer handed her. "That was probably the most endearing thing I have ever had the pleasure of experiencing. Thank you both so much for coming today and for choosing The Daily Prophet to interview you. I assure you that you will not be disappointed when you read the article tonight." She waved her hand and the quill stopped moving. "I must say, if anyone doubts your love after this, then they are all fools."

Betty rose from her seat and walked over to the couple. They too stood and shook her outstretched hand.

"I am so grateful that you granted me this interview. I wish you both the best and I promise you we are going to print the story exactly how you told it. Rita Skeeter is no longer employed by the Prophet and I will see to it that this story is not altered in anyway. Thank you both, so much. It has been a pleasure meeting you. I do hope to do this again sometime."

"The pleasure is all ours Ms. Braithwaite." Hermione responded pleasantly.

"Please dear, call me Betty." She smiled widely.

"Well Betty, we will see how this story turns out but I have a feeling we will be seeing you soon. Perhaps, you will cover the day of our wedding." Hermione continued.

"Oh Ms. Granger!" she placed a hand on her chest. "That would be a dream come true! Thank you! I will do you both proud with this article."

With that she took a step back as Harry stepped forward to usher the couple out of the room.

"That went well." Harry exclaimed as they walked down the hall to the back exit. "I guess now you just have to use that same charm Malfoy on the Greengrass's."

"Malfoy again, now is it?" Draco joked.

"I found calling you Draco is just too weird. It doesn't flow off the tongue well."

"Agreed, I think I will always call you Potter. Just know, once I make Granger and Malfoy, you are going to have to come up with a new name."

"Ferret was always my favorite if I do say so myself." Harry joked.

"Ha-ha, just stick with Malfoy then."

"Whatever you say…soft hands."

Draco rolled his eyes as he realized he wasn't going to win the battle. He took Hermione's hand in his and continued to follow his ex-enemy.

X

 **Sunday, April 8** **th** **, 2001 12:35pm**

Hermione stood a few feet in front the iron gates leading to Malfoy Manor. She stared up at the giant mansion and realized that the home had changed somewhat in appearance, but it still looked terrifying to her. Harry had apparated home to check on the guys, after walking them out of the Daily Prophet's back exit. He had promised to come straight to the Manor afterwards once he helped Ginny tidy up, but Hermione told him to just stay home and she would tell him all about it when they got back. She now wished she hadn't; she needed her best friend to help her through this. She was hesitant to enter and had every right to be. The last time she was ever at the Manor was when she was tortured by Bellatrix.

Draco had walked a few paces in front of Hermione as he made his way to gates. It wasn't long before he finally realized she wasn't behind him anymore.

"Hey?" he began as he walked back to her. "You okay?"

She didn't look away from massive house, nor did she answer him. She felt him gently touch her shoulders as he moved to stand in front of her; his height blocking her view, pulled her from the trance she was in.

"What?" she asked confused as she shook her head.

"Are you okay? We don't have to go in if you don't want to. I can ask the Greengrass's to reschedule."

"What, no don't do that. They are already angry about the ball, we shouldn't make them reschedule because I can't get over a past experience." She looked around him to look at the Manor again.

"Hermione, you have every right to be nervous." He claimed as he moved to block her view again. "I don't blame you for being afraid to go in there. We have some time so we can wait until you are ready."

"Just go in without me. I'll be there soon. I promi-"

"No. I'm not leaving you out here alone." He expressed a little angry.

"Draco, I'll be fine. Just go in…please." She pleaded.

He looked at her for a moment before walking away from her and made his way to the gate. Once he got to it, he turned around and sat down.

"What are you doing? Get up." She stated in annoyance.

"No, I told you I am not leaving you." he responded as he stretched out his legs and leaned back on his hands.

"Ugh, You are insufferable you know that?" she yelled in frustration; stomping her foot on the ground.

"Look Granger, we both know you won't actually go inside by yourself. If you are that uncomfortable we don't have to do this. We can meet the Greengrass's at their house or something. I am sure they will understand."

"We aren't rescheduling!...ugh, okay" She let out a deep breath and wiggled her arms to shake off the fear. "Take my hand and don't let go, okay?" she looked down on him with serious eyes.

Draco stood up and walked over to her. He gently took her hand in his and squeezed it tight for a moment.

"I won't let anything happen to you, okay? If it becomes too much, tell me and we will leave right away. I don't care if its mid-conversation." He said softly.

She nodded her head and he kissed her on the forehead. He began to take a few steps forward but kept his eyes on her; almost as if making sure she was coming. She took a few steps towards the gate so he continued walking at a slow pace. He never let go of her hand as she nervously made her way to the through the gate and down the path.

Once they reached the front door she stopped.

"Are you okay? We can always turn around now." Draco asked worryingly.

"I'm okay. I just need a second." She replied while looking at the large, arched, wooden and steel, door.

She took a deep breath in and let it out slowly.

"This is a lot harder than I thought it would be." She expressed still not looking away from the door.

"Just take your time Hermione. There is no rush."

She took in another breath before nodding her head to let him know that she was ready to continue. Draco placed a hand on the door and whispered something; she could only assume was a password. The door let off an ominous creaking noise as it slowly opened revealing a large, all white, foyer. Hermione stood in awe with her mouth gaped open as she stared at the room from the doorway. Without even thinking, she took a step in and looked around the huge room. The foyer had tall ceilings, at least sixteen feet high, with two grand staircases curved on each side of the room leading up to a second floor.

She had never had time to actually look at the entry way when she was dragged involuntarily through the place during the war, but what she did remember, was nothing like what she was looking at now.

"This…this is so different…it's beautiful in here." She exclaimed as she looked up at the details of the ceiling.

She saw Draco leaned against the door frame and cross his arms.

"My mother redecorated after the war. She didn't want the Manor to look dull and grey anymore; reminding her of all the bad that has ever happened here. She wanted it to feel like a home again; so she spent a year remodeling and redecorating while my father was in Azkaban serving his time…by the way, I never actually thanked you and Potter for vouching for me and my mother. We are both very grateful for both of your testimonies. If it wasn't for you two, my mother and I would have seen the inside of the dreadful prison; so, thank you."

"You don't have to thank us Draco." She began still looking around the foyer "I am sure you would have done the same for one of us."

"You maybe, but not Potter." He replied with a half-smile.

"I very much doubt that. You gave Harry your wand, remember? I knew then that you were beginning to change. I still didn't like you very much, but I knew there was good in you somewhere. If there was a time back then that we would have been on trial, I am sure you would have testified for both of us." She smiled at him over her shoulder before continuing to walk around the room.

"You always were a good judge of character." he smirked "We should get going though. My mother is probably in the study with father waiting for our guests to arrive. They are going to floo to the fireplace there."

"Okay." She replied feeling a little more confident.

They began to walk through the archway between the two staircases and down a long hall. They made a few turns and Hermione already felt like she was lost. After about five minutes of walking they turned a corner and ran face first into Narcissa.

"Merlin's beard Draco!" Narcissa stated as she expelled gasped while holding a hand to her chest. "You scared the daylights out of me. I was just coming to look for you two. Our guests should be arriving shortly."

"Sorry mother. I didn't mean to scare you." He smiled at her "We fell a little behind after the interview." He lied.

"No worries, we still have some time before the Greengrass's arrive." She turned her head slightly to look at Hermione. "Ms. Granger dear, it is lovely to see you. I hope the interview went well."

"It did Mrs. Malfoy thank you for asking. It will be printed in the evening issue of the Prophet. Oh and thank you for setting this meeting up. I hope it will help clear the air." She expressed with a large smile.

"I hope so as well and please, call me Narcissa. May I call you Hermione? After all we are going to become family soon."

Hermione nodded her head before looking to Draco with happiness.

"Very well." Narcissa began "We should get going to the study before your father thinks we've all been kidnapped." She chuckled.

The trio made their way down the long corridor and Hermione couldn't help but look around in wonder as they passed by large and small rooms all painted in cheerful colors and decorated with new furniture. She quickly came to a stop though, almost dragging Draco backwards as she stared into one room; frozen in place.

"What the? What is i- oh shit!"

"Language Draco!" Narcissa began to reprimand as she turned around. "I expect better of you with compan-oh shit."

Both Draco and his mother instantly panicked as they looked at the room Hermione was frozen in front of.

"Hermione dear, I am so sorry. I forgot to have this room closed off. This is my own fault. I knew you were coming and…I am so sorry." She rushed to close the arched door.

"Wait…" Hermione stated almost too calmly. "I…I want to see it."

"Are you sure Hermione? The room has been redone but it still holds the same memories. I think it would be best if-"

"I want to." She cut him off not looking away from the room. "I have to…if I don't do it now, I'll never be able to later."

Narcissa stopped closing the door and looked to her son. He nodded his head at his mother and she began to slowly open the door back up. Hermione took in a deep breath and let it out slowly before taking a steady step, then another, as she made her way into the Drawing Room.

She looked around the room, purposely avoiding the area she once laid in, and took in its features. She heard Draco and Narcissa take in a breath and hold it as she slowly made her way around the room; touching the walls and the furniture, hoping it would help her adjust before she looked to the forlorn spot.

Once she took in as much as she could, she slowly turned around and looked at the woeful area. Every grief-stricken emotion flooded her body at once and she immediately fell to her knees. She let out a light cry and began to sob but never turned away from the spot. Draco rushed to her but she held a hand to his chest to keep him away.

"Please." She begged. "Don't…I have to do this on my own."

Narcissa held her hands to her mouth as tears began to form in her eyes. Draco stood frozen as he let Hermione continue to cry on the floor. Once she called out his name as she hugged herself, he quickly bent down and scooped her into his arms; cradling her while slowly rocking back and forth.

"Shh, it's going to be okay little one. I'm here. It's going to be okay." He kept repeating over and over again as his grip on her became tighter.

She was passed the point of being consoled and could no longer stop herself from crying. She lost track of time and the world around her as she cried her eyes out. All she kept thinking about was the night she was carved up and hit repeatedly with the Imperius curse. Nothing else could block it out. Nothing could remove the pain that now boiling fresh and hot in her veins. Nothing, until she felt Draco slowly let her go and pass her off to someone else; someone with strong arms and a familiar scent.

Harry Potter was now holding her in his arms and whispering gently to her as he rocked her back and forth.

"You got this Hermione. You can get through this. You have to be strong. Bellatrix is dead, remember? She can't hurt you anymore. Shh, say it with me now, come on, I know you can…Bellatrix is dead. Say it Hermione."

She could barely breathe as she managed to try and repeat Harry.

"B…Bell…Bellatrix…is…dead." She cried out through her stammering breath.

"Good, now say it again, Bellatrix is dead."

"Bella…trix…is de…dead."

"She can't hurt me anymore." Harry continued as her breathing became little easier.

"She…can't hurt me…anymore."

"Good, now say it together come on Hermione, you can do it. I believe in you."

"Bellatrix is…dead…s…she can't hurt…me anymore."

"You are brave Mione." He claimed as he pulled back from her slightly to look her in the eye. "I am so proud of you." He wiped the tears from her face with his thumbs and he held her head in his hands. "What house were you placed in?"

"Gry…ffindor." She answered with a red and puffy face.

"And what does Gryffindor value?"

"Brav…Bravery…Ch…Chivalry…and Loyalty." She managed to stutter out, not looking away from her best friend.

"And you are?"

"All of that and…more." She replied as she finally calmed down.

"So much more." He smiled at her.

Hermione had managed to smile back weakly before realizing what just happened. She quickly looked around the room and spotted Ron, Blaise and Theo standing by the fireplace with Draco's mother, who was being consoled by Ginny, as they watched with sorrow at the scene before them. Draco was standing in a corner next to his father with tears streaming down his face.

Her heart broke as she looked at his sadden expression and couldn't help but want to hold him. Harry looked in the direction of Draco and nodded his head to let him know it was now okay to approach her. He quickly rushed to Hermione and held her in his arms.

"I am so sorry Hermione! I never should have let you into this room. I am so sorry little one." He cried into her shoulder as he held her tightly.

"It's okay Draco." She managed to speak out through his tight hold. "I am okay." She pulled back from him slightly and looked at him with a half-smile. "I needed to do this. I needed…to let it all out. I should be thanking you for allowing me to do this."

"Thanking- no that was horrible. I couldn't do anything for you. I had to have mother floo Potter for help. I was powerless to help you, once again." He stated in defeat as he lowered his head.

She raised a hand and gently lifted his chin.

"I won't ever forget what happened in this room Draco. But know this; this time you did help me. You weren't frozen in place like in your nightmares. This time you took a stand and did something about it. Even if that meant calling Harry to help while you held me; you did something. And I will always love you for that."

He smiled at her and caressed his hand on her face before placing his lips softly on hers; pulling her into a deep kiss.


	31. Chapter 31- Even in the Darkest of Times

**This is also a Draco only POV!**

Chapter 31- Even in the Darkest of Times

 **Sunday, April 8** **th** **, 2001 01:08pm**

The Greengrass's arrival to the Manor was anything but happy. They were most likely even more upset that no one was in the study to greet them. Draco's father had quickly rushed back to the study once he realized what time it was. His mother and Ginny had taken Hermione to one of the guest bathrooms on the same floor to freshen up, so Draco pulled Harry aside while the rest of the group made their way to his childhood bedroom to wait until the meeting was over.

"Potter?" Draco began as he stopped Harry from leaving the room.

"Hey Malfoy. What's up? Harry asked with a weak smile as he turned around to face him.

"Thank you, you know, for coming. I…I don't know what I would have done without you."

"Don't sweat it mate. It's not the first time this has happened." Harry shrugged.

"What do you mean it's not the first time?" Draco questioned with a raised brow.

"Well, after the war, Hermione used to get awful nightmares about this room. Ron couldn't do anything to console her so he always called me. I tried everything from holding her, to warm milk to help her sleep, to using a dreamless drought to knock her out. After about a week, I realized she needed something different than the usual comfort strategies and none of us wanted to keep drugging her. Her nightmares became a regular thing that happened almost every day, until the method that you just witnessed, finally slowed down to once a week, then to once a month. Ron still couldn't get it under control though, no matter how hard he tried. To be honest, between his own nightmares, helping George, and dealing with Fred's death; adding Hermione's problems on top of it all is what most likely helped drive him away from her."

"He left her because he couldn't deal with her pain? That is so fuc-"

"That is not what I mean Malfoy." Harry cut in "I mean he had a lot to deal with. The war was just as hard on him and his family, if not harder. He lost a brother and almost lost another due to suicide."

"Suicide? George? Hermione never told me that part." Draco's face fell in concern.

"She couldn't have…she doesn't know and we want to keep it that way." Harry sighed while putting his hands in his pockets. "We didn't want to tell her that that was the main reason Ron moved into the shop with George. We didn't want to give her another reason to wake up screaming at night. She was doing so well. Once she moved in with Ginny and I, it became easier to help her since I was only down the hall. After I finally calmed her down, which sometimes was a few minutes and other times it was a few hours, we would stay up all night and just…talk. I think it helped her a lot. She hasn't had a nightmare in a few months."

"But…this wasn't a nightmare. She was fully awake. I knew I shouldn't have let her walk into this room!" He cursed himself aloud.

"This isn't your fault Malfoy. She suffers from PTSD. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder; breakdowns can happen at any time of the day, awake or asleep. Besides, we both know her; she would have found a way to get in this room with or without you. I am just glad you and your mother were with her. If she was alone?" He paused to pinch the bridge of his nose and let out another deep sigh. "Anyway, no one could have predicted that any of us would ever be in this house again, let alone this very room, but I think this is a good thing. She faced her fears head on and in a way, so did you."

"Me?" he asked somewhat shocked.

"Yes you. Hermione told me about your nightmares. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone. She only told me because I know how to deal with them. I know you are also suffering from PTSD; you just haven't had someone to help you recover. I mean, be honest Malfoy; when was the last you were ever actually in this room other than today?"

Draco looked at the raven haired man standing before him confused as the thought back to when he stood in this very room before.

"The last time I was in this room, was when…" he trailed off.

"When we were all captured and you lied to help us?" Harry finished for him. "You have nightmares of being frozen in place, not able to help her because you too, never faced your fears. But you did something this time. You did everything you could to help her, even getting past your selfish ego to call me. You didn't freeze."

Harry looked at him with hopeful eyes, but Draco couldn't bring himself to say anything, so instead he looked at the ground to process everything.

"There is no shame is asking for help Malfoy." Harry admitted when Draco didn't speak for a while. "That is the first step to conquering your nightmares. You can't always use Hermione as a shield to comfort you. She won't always be there. What if you fall asleep on the couch or accidently at work? Or while holding your newborn?"

"You're right…" Draco confessed as he raised his head. "I don't want to hurt Hermione or our future children…I need…help. Can…you help me?"

"Of course!" Harry pipped up. "We can schedule meetings throughout the week. We will talk about the details later but I have to ask you to stay at my house for at least a month and before you argue," Harry raised a hand "It is only to monitor your nightmares. How frequent and how bad they can get. You don't have to sleep away from Hermione but I will ask you a ton of questions on your sleeping habit before she came into your life. It will also help me discover different ways to calm you down that I can teach Hermione. I will even teach you how to help her."

"Okay…Thanks Potter."

"You're welcome Malfoy. Now let's get you to your meeting. We don't want to upset the Greengrass's anymore than they already are."

The pair walked out of the room and down the hall to the study. Once they walked in, Draco saw Mr. and Mrs. Greengrass angrily sitting in front of his father's desk as Astoria sat off to the side. His father was standing behind the desk trying to calm the couple down but was obviously failing.

"Are you kidding me?" Mr. Greengrass yelled out. "You have made us wait here for a half hour past our scheduled meeting to what? Take care of a filthy mudblood that has broken up a future marriage!"

"Excuse me?" Draco asked in shock and anger.

"You boy!" Mr. Greengrass stated in anger as he rose from his chair and turned to Draco pointing a finger at him. "You have ruined everything! You will break off this fake engagement to that mudblood and you will fix this by reinstating the marriage contract to my daughter or else!"

"Are you actually trying to tell a Head of House what to do? I am no boy Mr. Greengrass and if you would like to discuss this as adults I would be happy to, but I will not tolerate you shouting and throwing demands out in my parents' home, nor will I tolerate you calling my fiancée that slur. I requested this meeting to apologize to you and your daughter for the embarrassment; not to be bombarded with threats." Draco stated firmly.

Mr. Greengrass's face reddened; looking like it was about to explode, but Draco stood his ground and stared the man down.

"How dare you?" He claimed angrily through clenched teeth. "Do you know what this family has done for your father's company? Your company now! I will pull all of my clients-"

"Actually, you can't." Draco cut him off "I looked it up. Those clients can only pull of their own accord and after the Evening Prophet is released in a few hours I am sure they will decide for themselves what they wish to do; especially after I announce my new proposal that can and will make them even more filthy rich. Not everyone in the wizarding world thinks the way you do anymore Mr. Greengrass. The war is over and you heard what the Will stated." Draco arrogantly claimed.

"You will lose a lot of client's boy!"

"I may, but that is a risk I am willing to take. You see," He took a step forward "That mudblood, who I absolutely love, has given me a wonderful idea and I believe it will work. With the backing of the Zabini's who are no longer prejudice against muggle-born or blood traitors and others from the sacred twenty-eight, who have also changed views; we don't need you anymore. I have thought this over long and hard Mr. Greengrass. You have underestimated me. I told you; I am not a boy." Draco devilishly smirked.

"The Potter's are also willing to invest." Harry chimed in "I am sure many people will stay with the company if the 'boy who lived twice' is an investor and trusts what Malfoy is trying to do."

"You have got to be joking." Greengrass laughed. "Potter? Really? That is the best you can come up with Malfoy?"

His wife however was not amused as she sat looking on. She still held hate in her heart but she was no fool when it came to business. She seems to have realized that her husband is just digging them into a deeper hole.

"That is enough Albert!" she demanded as she stood. "Clearly we are not going to get what we came here for." She angrily stated as she gave Draco a dirty look.

"I will tell you when it is enough, woman!" Greengrass's hissed at his wife before turning back to Draco. "You WILL marry my daughter or I will tell the world that your mudblood lover lied on the stand during your trial to help you get out of going to Azkaban! I will also say that you paid Potter here off for his testimony as well!"

Draco took a step back as his face fell but before he could utter a comeback. Someone in the room shouted out in anger.

"THAT IS ENOUGH FATHER!"

The room got quiet as Astoria stared her father down.

"Just stop it! Stop with the insults, stop with the treats, just stop! I never wanted to marry Draco and you bloody well know that! Could he have gone about telling me better? Yes, but I am happy to be rid of the agreement! I want to marry for love and to someone I know; not a stranger who is clearly in love with someone else and would possibly cheat on me all because you can't get the bloody stick out of your arse to see that you have gone about this all wrong!"

"Astoria!" her mother gasped in shock. "How dare you speak to your father like that!"

"No mother! You don't get to chime in here! You have been quite this whole time and even tried to stop him because you knew he was making a mistake! I am not stupid! Everyone but father can clearly see that Draco has the upper hand here. I will not stand by any longer as he tries to dictate my life and ruin this family! All he wants to get richer, well he can bloody well do that if he stops acting like a child and stays with Malfoy Inc.!" she turned towards a very bewildered Draco. "I accept your apology Draco and I apologize for my father's rude behavior this afternoon." She glanced at her father angrily "He clearly isn't in his right mind at the moment."

"Astoria! I am your father! You maybe my little girl but this is unacceptable! Daphne would never pull some-"

"There you go again!" She expressed throwing her hands in the air. "STOP COMPARING ME TO MY SISTER! I am not her nor will I ever be! Father," She stated rather calmly "don't you understand. This broken arrangement is a good thing. There is clearly a new proposal that will make you rich like you wanted and it gets me off the hook from having to marry someone I don't love. Why is it, that everyone in this room can see that, except you?" she pleaded.

"Asto-"

"Daddy?... Please just stop this madness."

 _'Well I'll be damned. She just used the daddy card with the puppy dog eyes. Girl is good.'_ He thought with a smirk.

Mr. Greengrass let out a sigh as he looked into his 'oh so innocent' daughters eyes. He looked like he wanted to still be mad but Draco could see that daddy's little girl clearly had him wrapped around her finger.

 _'He knew he had to say something while he was still calm, otherwise the lie he told about not needing the Greengrass's might end up being his downfall. He never asked Blaise or Blaise's mother to back him nor had he asked any of the other families in the sacred twenty-eight. He eventually planned to but it wasn't set in stone yet. Potter was the only one who said he would do it and that is even IF he was actually being serious. If he was then it would help keep the company afloat but not by much and possibly not for very long. He needed the Greengrass's more than he cared to admit.'_

"Mr. Greengrass?" Draco began.

The man turned his softened expression towards him as Draco continued.

"I am truly sorry about the embarrassment that I have created for you and your family. I was not thinking when I did it. It was not my intention to hurt your daughter in anyway. But please, listen to her. We don't need to keep the same old traditions anymore. Times have changed Sir; we need to learn to change with it. If you would like to stay on as an investor, I will gladly still accept you, but you must not threaten me again and you will NOT further offend my fiancée. If you stay, I promise to make you a richer man with my new idea, WITHOUT having to marry your daughter. I promise to change this company for the better."

"Change the Co-You are the one who has changed boy?" He tried to angrily say but his voice was much softer that it had previously been.

 _'He is calmer…It's now or never. You've got this Draco.'_

He let out a breath as he looked at the angry man standing before him, softening is features and prepared to change the man's mind.

"But I didn't...Unfortunately we live in a society where everyone tells us how to look or how to act a certain way. Who to like and not to like, even who to marry and who not to. We are all under this constant pressure to live up to unrealistic expectations and be…unhappy. If you let people's perception of you dictate your behavior, you will never grow a person and if you can't grow as a person then how can you grow a company or even a family?...I can't give you the answer you want sir. I know that because sometimes in life, the right answer is that there isn't one. I didn't change, I just found myself, with the help of the woman you hate so much. It wasn't easy. Growth is painful. Change is painful. But nothing is as painful as being stuck somewhere you don't belong. Do you honestly want to stay stuck in the past Mr. Greengrass? Or do you want to grow with me as I build this company up?"

Mr. Greengrass took in a deep breath as he looked around the room. He looked at Lucius who was smiling proudly to himself while sitting behind the desk. He looked back to Draco, releasing his breath and nodded his head.

"Fine…Son. I accept your apology and will continue to stay on an investor. BUT," He held up a finger "Only if you are true to your word that you will make me richer and that this proposal gets sorted out through me first, before you tell the rest of the world. I want to make sure it is a legit plan before anything else gets done, do you understand me?"

"Yes Sir!" Draco pipped up. "I won't let you down."

"You better not…We will schedule a meeting for next week to go over your plan. DO NOT be late to it! Otherwise you will have lost your chance and your words will have been wasted!"

"Understood Mr. Greengrass, I will not be late."

"Very well. It is getting late and we have other arrangements we need to attend to. I will Owl you in a few days to set everything up." He turned to his daughter "And you young lady, might have won the battle but you have not won the war. We will discuss your behavior this afternoon, when we get home."

"Yes father." She stated as she bowed her head and made her way to the fireplace behind Harry.

She stopped to look at Draco for a second and smiled at him while mouthing the words 'thank you'. Draco bowed his head slightly before she continued to walk past him. Mr. Greengrass collected his wife in his arm and walked to the exit. He bowed his head at Draco before grabbing some floo powder and disappeared with his family.

Draco felt instant relief flood his body. He quickly sat down in one of the chairs and let out a deep breath as he leaned back in a slouched position.

"That was well done son. I did not expect that to go the way that it did." Lucius exclaimed with a tight smile.

"Thanks." He replied still in shock looking up at the ceiling.

Harry had taken the vacant seat next to Draco and looked at him with a questioning face.

"What is it Potter?" He asked not looking at Harry.

"Since when did you get so good at speeches? And when did you talk to the other families and convince them in invest? You were at my house the whole time. I can understand Blaise but even he was at my house and didn't speak to his mother."

Draco sighed as bent his head to look down at his hands.

"I am going to ignore that first question but to answer your second one; I didn't. It was a lie. I hoped he would go for it seeing as his ego is bigger than any Malfoy's. He hates competition and if one of the other families became a big investor," he blew out a small whistle "Let's just say, the idea was to get him jealous enough to stay and to use his ego against himself. The company would actually fall if we lost him. And even if you came on…Malfoy Inc. would only stay afloat for maybe a year or so. No offence Potter, but you don't have the kind of money to keep a whole company up and running while I figure out this new muggle technology plan."

Harry nodded his head in understanding but looked to Lucius who seemed to want to say something.

"Whatever your plan is Draco. Just know I fully support you in every way…I am proud of you."

Draco looked at his father with surprise.

 _'He never thought he would live to hear his father tell him he was proud of him. He didn't think the word proud was even in his father's vocabulary.'_

His heart raced as he sat there frozen looking at his father who was smiling at him.

 _'Lucius Malfoy…was proud of him.'_

"And if it's okay with you?" Harry butted in after a few moments of silence. "I would actually like to become an investor. I think it would not only be good for Ginny and I but it would help you out as well, even if it's temporary."

Draco looked over at Harry in amazement. He didn't actually think he would want to invest but he did. Everything was happening so fast it made him feel dizzy.

 _'Maybe Titanic did more good for him then just finding his love. It helped make his father proud of him and it helped him find real friends. He wouldn't quite say family just yet, like Hermione called everyone, but Potter was actually a genuine person once you got to know him. He did a lot to make his friends happy. He was loyal and smart and he was willing to go above and beyond to help him out.'_

"If you really want to…then okay." He smiled lightly.

Harry leaned back into his chair with a smile on his face before he quickly sat up making both Lucius and Draco look at him perplexed.

"We forgot the girls!…Yes, I am including Ron, Blaise, and Theo in that statement…We should go before they all start to think of different ways we have been murdered." He quickly stated.

Draco let out a laugh as he stood up to follow Harry out of the door, but realized his father wasn't following and turned back around.

"You guys go. I have some paperwork to finish up here. If you see Narcissa please let her know where I am so she doesn't worry."

"Yes father." Draco claimed as he bowed his head and left the study.

As Harry and Draco walked down the corridor together he suddenly came up with an idea.

"Hey Potter? Can you help me with one more thing?" he asked with a smirk.

"As long as it doesn't get me killed by Ginny or Hermione…sure." He joked.

"Trust me…if anything they will love you more. We will need Theo too."

"Ohh-kay? What exactly do you need both of us for? I am not big on sharing Malfoy." Harry laughed loudly as he stopped walking to bend over and hold his stomach.

"Is everything dirty to you?" Draco chuckled as he watched the man basically die from laughing. "It wasn't that funny." he chuckled a little louder.

"Oh, come on Malfoy!" Harry stood up to wipe the tears from his eyes. "That was a good one and you walked right into it!" he began to laugh again.

"Okay fine." He chuckled again. "It was a good one."

Harry let out a deep sigh as he caught his breath, still smiling.

"Admit it. It feels good to laugh for no reason."

"Just as long as you aren't serious about it." Draco stated as he crossed his arms.

"Godric NO! Gross. It was just a joke. Don't you joke with Blaise and Theo like that?"

"We do, but it's just…" he trailed off.

"What?" Harry asked in concern as his smile faded.

"We haven't joked like that since school. I've barely seen them since we've graduated." Draco admitted as he leaned back on the wall.

"What about your other friends?"

"What other friends Potter? Crabbe is dead and Goyle wasn't as much of a friend. He was more of a henchman if anything. And Pansy…Well, we all know what happened with her. Blaise and Theo are my only friends."

"Well, now you have Ron, Ginny, and me."

"Why? Why would you want to be my friend after everything I have done to both of you?" Draco asked skeptically.

"Because…Hermione trusts you." he shrugged "Honestly if it wasn't for her we wouldn't be here right now, laughing about a really stupid joke. You also aren't bad company and you apologized; maybe not directly to me but I count your apology to Ron and Ginny towards me. You are a pretty decent guy once you let your walls down. I assume Hermione was a big part of helping you with that."

Draco let off a half smile as he looked down to the ground.

"I guess we all owe Hermione a lot huh Potter?" he claimed as he continued to look at the ground.

"I'd say we all owe her our lives." He leaned up against the wall opposite Draco. "She has done more for all of us than we care to admit. If it wasn't for her I would most likely be permanently dead, on numerous occasions, AND we would have lost the war. I also wouldn't have had the chance to get to know the real Draco Malfoy…She is my sister Malfoy. I want to give her the world. I owe her that. WE, owe her that."

Draco glanced up and realized just how serious Harry was being with him.

 _'It was now two times in one day, he was actually having a deep conversation with Harry Potter…and neither of them fought or bickered.'_

"I will give her whatever she wants and more." He replied calmly, looking back to the floor.

"I don't mean money Malfoy. She needs more tha-"

He looked back up at him with a soft expression.

"I know what you mean Harry…I promise you, I won't ever stop loving her."


	32. Chapter 32- Surprise, Surprise

***THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS SEXUAL CONTENT READ AT YOU OWN RISK***

Chapter 32- Surprise Surprise

 **Friday, April 13** **th** **, 2001 01:08pm**

Draco sat at the kitchen table at 12 Grimmauld Place, tapping his fingers on the table with impatience. He and Harry had made a plan over the last few days and everything finally came down to this moment. He was nervous but excited at the same time.

Hermione had taken Ron, Ginny, Blaise, and Theo out for lunch, using the excuse that Harry wanted to talk to Draco about his nightmares, without all the noise in the house. Blaise and Theo had been spending a lot of time at Grimmauld after becoming fast friends with everyone. The same people they were taught to hate growing up.

"Can you stop tapping" Harry groaned. "They will be here soon. Stop worrying."

"I'm not worrying. I'm just impatient." Draco replied releasing a sigh.

Suddenly an otter Patronus shot through the room and landed between Harry and Draco.

"We are on our way back." Hermione's voice emitted from the otter's mouth. "Get ready."

Draco and Harry quickly stood up and ran to the living room. They made it just in time to hear the snap of a disapparation just outside the front door. Ron and Theo ran inside and hurried to the living room to wait for the next group to arrive. The next snap was heard and everyone waited in anticipation.

Blaise and Ginny walked into the living room laughing but instantly stopped when they saw everyone. A large banner was hanging above the group that said 'CONGRADULATIONS' in bold lettering.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" Theo shouted as he threw confetti into the air.

Draco saw Hermione from behind the pair, roll her eyes in amusement before walking to the coffee table and picking up a small black box. She smiled at him and then turned around and walked slowly towards Ginny.

"What is all this?" Ginny asked in surprise.

Hermione looked serious while looking at her friend. She handed the little box over to Ginny but said nothing.

"What is this for? It's not my birthday?" Ginny asked skeptically.

"Just open it." Hermione stated with a smile.

Ginny looked down at the box and began to slowly open the lid. She looked in surprise as she lifted up a piece of paper. She quickly raised her head and saw that Hermione had placed herself down on one knee.

"Hermione? What are you-"

"Ginny?" She cut her off and took one of her hands in hers "We have been friends for a long time and I think this is the best way to do this. The paper says it all but what it doesn't say is how much I love you or how much your friendship means to me. Because of you I am able to speak girl and do my hair and makeup flawlessly. I owe you so much... Will you Ginevra Potter, do me the honor of being my Maid, well Matron of Honor?"

Harry and Ron let out loud gasps as they clasped their hands to their chests in an over dramatic way. Draco let out a light chuckle as he looked at the two before looking back to Ginny who was now pretend crying.

"Oh Hermione!" she exclaimed as she folded her lips in "This is all just so sudden."

"But Ginny," Hermione stated as she clearly tried to hold back a laugh "This was meant to be, I can feel it in my bones. What do you say? Stand with me at the alter!"

Ginny folded her lips in again as she let out a squeal of delight.

"Oh my goodness…YES!" She shouted.

Draco watched as the two women let out screams and hugged each other.

"SHE SAID YES!" Ron shouted as he threw his arms in the air.

Theo and Harry began to dramatically slow clap as if witnessing the best show of their lives. Draco let off a smile as he watched part one of his plan play out. Hermione released her hug from Ginny and turned to face him. She nodded her head with a large smile as Ginny held up a beautiful silver necklace. Draco crossed the room as he walked over to Blaise and stood in front of him; letting out a deep breath, he half-smiled. He pulled a very similar black box from his pants pocket and handed it to Blaise.

"What? Hermione and Ginny both get a knee and I don't?" Blaise expressed dramatically while he leaned his left shoulder back and placed a hand with the box on his chest, as if offended. "Rude."

"I am not getting on one knee." Draco replied with a chuckle.

"Oh come on mate! Get down on your knee and propose to the man!" Ron yelled out.

"Yeah!" The rest shouted.

Draco turned to the group and they all looked very eager for him to do it.

"I am not doing it!"

"Please?" Hermione asked as she clasped her hands behind her back, rocked back and forth on her heels, and batted her eyelashes as she dared to give him the puppy dog pout.

Draco let out a grunt and looked back at Blaise who was mimicking Hermione a little too well.

"Please Drakey-Poo?" Blaise batted his lashes and twisted his shoulders back and forth.

"Oh for the love of- fine!"

Draco rolled his eyes and got down on one knee while taking Blaise's hand in his. Blaise took a page from Ginny's book and pretended to cry as he shut his eyes for a brief second.

"Blaise?...My dear, sweet, sweet Blaise. Will you do me the honor of being my Best Man?" Draco asked with as much sarcasm as he could muster.

"Oh my Draco!" Blaise began as he folded his lips in "This was so unexpected! I don't know what to say!"

Draco rolled his eyes again as he released a huff.

"Please say yes?" he looked up at Blaise, just wishing the whole thing would end already.

"Oh Draco! I can't believe this! The choice is so hard; I don't know what to-"

"Blaise! Mate really?" Draco said fully annoyed.

"Fine." Blaise took a moment to eye him up and down as if disgusted with him, before jumping in the air with joy. "YES!" he shouted.

"HE SAID YES!" Harry called out while raising his hands in the air.

The group cheered as Blaise hugged Draco. The hug must have looked strange while Draco knelt on one knee not hugging the man back.

"I refuse to squeal." Draco muttered loud enough for everyone to hear.

Blaise rocked him side to side before letting go and faced all their friends. He ran to Ginny, Theo, Harry, and Ron as he jumped up and down, like a school girl who just got asked to the Yule Ball, and began showing off the pocket watch Draco had given him.

Draco stood up as Hermione walked over to him and pecked him on the cheek.

"You know?" She began with a giggle "He is a really good actor."

Draco wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close to him. She reached her arms up and placed them around his neck.

"It was a little over the top don't you think?" he asked with a half-smile.

"I think it was perfect." She smiled looking up at him and placed a tender kiss on his lips.

"Mm…I can definitely handle playing into his dramatics' as long as I am rewarded with kisses like that."

"What else can you play into, Mr. Malfoy?" She smirked up at him.

"Do I detect…flirting, Ms. Granger?" He questioned with a raised brow.

"Maybe…Maybe not." She winked.

He leaned down into her left ear.

"Do I need to take you upstairs to discuss what I am willing to play with, little cub?" he whispered softly, nipping her ear with his teeth.

She pulled him in closer and grazed her lips against his ear.

"I would very much like that…Sir." She whispered seductively.

He let out a low growl and was very much tempted to scoop her up in his arms and carry her upstairs, but his thoughts were interrupted by Harry's shouting.

"We need to celebrate!" Harry called out. "I am flooing the rest of the gang! Drinks on me!"

"It's one thirty in the afternoon Potter." Draco mentioned as he turned his attention to the group while still holding onto Hermione.

"Hey! It's five o'clock somewhere." Ron called out.

Draco rolled his eyes, letting out a small laugh and looked back to his girl.

 _'His girl…he liked the sound of that. She was his.'_

"I guess we will have to finish this conversation later tonight." He smiled down at her.

"I don't know." She held a finger to her chin. "I think I might be able to squeeze you in to my schedule. I am a very busy woman Mr. Malfoy."

"You will definitely be able to squeeze me in love." 'He smirked kissing the top of her forehead.

"Hey you two!" Theo called out. "Let's get this place party ready!

"Coming!" Hermione smiled up at him before pulling away and walking out of the room. Leaving a very horny Draco, to fend for himself.

 **Friday, April 13** **th** **, 2001 06:32pm**

After hours of food shopping, getting the house ready for the celebration, and Ginny dragging her around the town to look at wedding dresses; Hermione was tired. She had about an hour to spare before guests arrived so she sat herself on her bed and laid back; closing her eyes. She heard the door open and then close but she was too tired to look up. She felt two hands touch her thighs and she instantly knew it was Draco but she kept her eyes closed anyway.

He moved his hands up her thighs and under her white floral summer dress, pulling her panties down to her ankles. She kept her eyes closed and produced a smile as he moved his hands back up her legs and placed her dress over his head. His warm wet tongue caressed her soft center; making her throat release a soft moan.

Wrapping her legs over his shoulders after kicking her panties off her ankles; she felt him press his face deeper into her. She pulled her dress up and placed her hands on his blonde hair as she bucked her hips slightly with each flick of his tongue. He slipped a finger inside of her, making her moan louder but he quickly pulled his face back and held a finger up to his mouth as he smiled.

"Shh, my love. They will hear you." he whispered.

"Then put a silencing spell up." She pleaded through her moans as he kept flicking his fingers inside of her.

"No…it would be hotter to watch you squirm while trying to hold back." He smirked.

"Draco!" she yelled out in frustration.

Hermione looked around the bed for her wand and couldn't find it. Looking back at Draco, she saw him twiddling her wand in his free hand.

"Give me back my waaann…d." she moaned out, throwing her head back against the bed as he pushed his hand deeper into her.

"No."

"Draco Malfoy you give me my wand this instant!" she yelled lifting her head back up.

"Looks like you don't want it as much as I thought." He shrugged as he pulled his fingers out of her.

"What? No, what are you doing?"

"Well, you seem more interested in your wand than me pleasuring you so…" he trailed off with another smirk while leaning back on his heels.

"Okay fine. I don't care about the wand, just…come back." She pleaded fully sitting up.

Grabbing his head in her hands, she pressed her lips to his. She tasted herself but didn't care. She wanted him and she wanted him now. She bit his bottom lip gently between her teeth before she deepening of the kiss. He was turned on by it; she could tell because he pushed harder into the kiss as he leaned her back on the bed and inserted his tongue into her mouth. She grabbed his waist and pulled his hips into her as they fought for dominance.

She could feel the hardness of his boner against her bare skin calling out for her, so she began to grind her wet pussy against his pants but he instantly pulled back; breaking the heated kiss.

She was confused at first before she noticed him undoing his belt. He ripped it off of himself and unzipped his pants; pulling his hard dick out, he centered himself at her opening. Slowly easing into her, they both let out soft moans as they tried to stay as quite as possible. Once he was as deep as he could get, he looked down at her with such care it made her body tremble.

"I love you." she whispered smiling up at him and brushing his hair out of his face.

"I love you more." He whispered back before he leaned down and locked his lips with hers.

He pulled out of her slowly and began thrusting into her. She wrapped her legs around his hips; moaning into his mouth as she deepened the kiss while he kept a slow and sensual steady pace. He pulled away from her slightly and started a trail of pecks along her jaw until he reached her ear; lightly nipping her neck as he made his way down her skin. His soft petal like lips made her body feel like it was floating in water from pure ecstasy. The way he moved his body against hers, made her want to yell out his name in pure bliss, but she knew she had to stay quite.

Hermione felt him flick his tongue on the sweet spot of her neck, just below her ear while he kept pumping softly in and out of her. She was in heaven and her whole body knew it; she couldn't hold back anymore. Her body shook while her climax rose; her walls beginning to clench around his perfect dick, begging for more of him. She gripped the back of his shirt and clawed at his hair as the pleasure in the lower part of her belly, grew more vibrant. Using her legs, she pulled his hips closer to her, pushing him deeper with every tender thrust he made.

After a few moments, the movements became too much and she could no longer contain her moaning. Her grip on his hair became tighter as she began to come undone from under him. He moved his lips back to hers, muffling the cries of her orgasm as he pressed harder into her. Her hips bucked and her juices flowed out; covering them both but neither seemed to care. Her lips parted wide while she screamed out his name, releasing his hold on her.

Draco quickly wrapped his hand around the back of her neck; pulling her face into the soft area between his neck and shoulder to help contain the noise. She could hear and feel him breathing harder into her ear as he kept grinding his hips against her. She kept moaning his name and could feel his body begin to melt from her warm breath pressing against his soft pale skin. Whispering 'I love you', he spilled into her as he let go of his own climax.

The couple stayed where they were, holding each other and breathing heavily. He kept his full weight off of her, which she was grateful for, but she yearned to hold him closer. She didn't remove her legs from around him and he didn't remove his hand from behind her neck. They looked into each other's eyes and she realized just how much he meant to her.

 _'He had become so much more since Titanic. She never thought her feelings for the man before her could get any deeper, but they did. He was hers. Not her property but something more…meaningful…he was her world; her whole world. She loved him and would do anything for him.'_

For some odd reason, Hermione felt like crying, but she didn't know why.

 _'They had just made love and she felt amazing. So why did she all of a sudden want to break down and cry?'_

"Hermione?...Are you okay? Did I hurt you?" he asked worryingly.

Her eyes began to water and she tried so hard to hold back the involuntary tears. She couldn't understand where they were coming from or why and thinking about it just made her want to cry more.

"Love? What's wrong? Please talk to me." He begged while wiping a tear that had escaped her caramel eye.

"Nothing is wrong." She smiled up at him.

"Then why are you crying? Did I do something?" he asked with concern.

"No, not at all." She lifted a hand and cupped his face. "You are perfect."

He smiled down at her and kissed the top of her forehead before pulling himself out of her. He zipped up his pants and picked up his wand to do a cleansing spell. Once he was done, he threw his wand on the ground next to hers and climbed back into bed. He remained seated as he helped her sit up. He placed a hand on her stomach and did a contraption spell before bringing her closer to him.

"Hermione, what is wrong? Why are you so upset?" he asked with a care.

She snuggled into him, resting her head in his chest, but the comfort made her want to cry more. She let out a few sniffled laughs before pulling back. She refused to look at his face so instead she focused on the buttons of his white dress shirt.

"I don't know what is wrong with me." She began.

"What?" he asked confused. He lifted his chin with his hand and looked her in the eye. "There is nothing wrong with you little one. Why would you say that?"

"I don't know." She shrugged. "Something is not right."

"Was it the sex? I thought you would like it slo-"

"It's not the sex." She cut him off "I don't know what it is but…something doesn't feel right."

"Is it me? Do…do you not feel right, with me?" he asked with a fallen face.

"Oh Draco, no! Of course I want to be with you. Don't ever think that I don't. I love you. It's just…I don't know." She sighed. "After that amazing sex, I just looked up at you and thought about how much I love you and then I felt super emotional and wanted to cry. I can't control it. Something is wrong with me but I don't know what."

"So…you are crying because you love me?" he asked still confused. "I don't see how that means something is wrong with you."

"I can't explain it Draco. Something is off. I have been feeling super emotional lately and tired and horny…I think I might be getting sick or something. I don't know, I just know something is wrong."

"Okay, well we can schedule an appointment to have a Healer come here and get you checked out. But I don't think anything is wrong with you, love."

"I think I know my body a little better than you do okay?" She snapped.

"Whoa, okay sorry." he leaned back putting his hands up in defense.

"Sorry, I don't know where that came from."

"It's okay. Look I'll floo my mother and have her best Healer meet us here tomorrow okay?"

She nodded her head and wished she could see a Healer now but she knew at this hour on a Friday, that all the Healers would be busy at St. Mungo's. She could wait another day; at least she hoped she could.

Before she could think any more of it, she heard a light tap on the bedroom door before it opened revealing a very dolled up Ginny.

"Hey are yo-" Ginny began but stopped when she looked to the ground.

Hermione was confused at first until she looked at where Ginny was looking and realized her panties and Draco's belt were still on the floor. She quickly moved to grab the items as Ginny let out a soft chuckle.

"It's too late now Mione, I already know what you two have been doing and it wasn't napping…Well I hope you saved some of your energy because Neville and Luna have just arrived. Dean and Seamus should be here shortly as well if you guys want to clean up and head down stairs?"

"Thanks Ginny. We will be down shortly." Draco replied when Hermione didn't answer.

Hermione suddenly felt like she wanted to throw up but held it back and tried to control herself.

Ginny nodded her head and began to turn but stopped and looked at Hermione; squishing her face in confusion.

"There is something different about you Hermione…Are you okay? You look like you are going to be sick."

Draco looked at Hermione in worry and laid a hand on her back.

"I'm fine Gin. I just don't feel very well. It'll pass soon I am sure. I'm okay. Probably something I ate." She replied with a smile.

"Okay, if you say so. Just let me know if you feel worse and no alcohol for you. I don't want to make whatever you have worse. If you need to rest more…and I mean actual rest," Ginny looked at Draco with a knowing look "we will all understand."

Hermione nodded her head, almost agreeing to lie down but she decided against it. She wasn't going to let her sudden mood swings and nausea affect the party. She had been looking forward to it ever since Harry mentioned it this afternoon.

She stood up after Ginny left and put her panties back on. Draco fixed his belt as she cleaned herself up in the mirror. Once she was decent she grabbed Draco's hand and walked out the bedroom door. She suddenly felt Dizzy however, but passed it off and continued down the stairs. Walking into the living room she saw Luna, Neville, Seamus, and Dean talking with Blaise and Theo. Ron came up behind them carrying an arm full of liquor while Harry held glasses. Ginny was steps behind the two with a plate of sliced meat and cheese and the smell made Hermione's stomach churn.

 _'What is wrong with me? She couldn't for the life of her figure out why she was feeling so off. Maybe she was coming down with the flu?'_

"Hermione!" Seamus called out. "How ye been lass?" he questioned excitingly as he walked over to her.

The rest of the guest followed to say their hellos and she could tell Neville and Dean were a bit hesitant when they noticed Draco standing next to her, holding her hand. They didn't question it though, as they all began to give her hugs. She could smell the cologne of each male and it burned her nose. Any other time she would have enjoyed the smell of the musk scents but today she hated it.

Luna was the last one to hug her but when she pulled back she looked at Hermione with a questioning expression.

"Are you okay Hermione? You seem almost glowing but sick at the same time?" she asked pleasantly.

Hermione however couldn't answer her. She felt like she was about to vomit and the room started to spin. Everything was moving so fast and the smells in the air created an odd sensation in her body.

"Hermione?" Draco began as he touched her back lightly.

But she didn't hear him. She couldn't hear anyone anymore. The room suddenly got darker and she felt her body begin to wobble. She could only think about, was what was wrong with her, before the room went pitch black. Her legs gave out from under her and she felt herself fall to the ground.


	33. Chapter 33- Breakdown

Chapter 33- Breakdown

 **Friday, April 13** **th** **, 2001 07:16pm**

Draco rushed to catch Hermione before she fell to the floor. He caught her in his arms and began to panic. He didn't know what was wrong. She was only feeling nauseous and moody. She never mentions lightheaded or anything.

"Mione?" Harry called out. "Hermione! Wake up!"

"What did you do to her?" Seamus yelled at Draco.

Draco looked up from the passed out girl in his arms and stared Seamus down.

"I didn't do anything! Why would I do something to her?" he retorted back angrily.

"Well you-" Seamus began to argue but was cut off by Harry.

"We need to get her to the hospital! Malfoy can you carry her? I'll get the floo powder."

Draco nodded his head as he went to pick Hermione up but Dean joined in with just as much anger as Seamus.

"Don't you touch her! What did you do?" he screamed with furry.

"Dean! He didn't do anything to her; now get the FUCK out of the way so we can get her to St. Mungo's!" Ginny interfered, stepping in between Draco and the two very pissed off Gryffindor's.

Draco had never been more thankful for the red head. He scooped Hermione up into his arms bridal style and quickly rushed to the fireplace. He stepped in with Harry and turned around.

"ST. MUNGO'S!" Harry yelled as he threw the floo powered to the ground.

A bright green flame engulfed them as it began to teleport them to the hospital. Once they arrived Draco stepped out and followed Harry as fast as he could to the reception desk.

"We need a Healer!" Harry yelled as he ran to the station. "Hurry! My friend collapsed!"

The receptionist quickly stood up and pressed a button that sent a page across the room.

 _"Healer Francis to the Main Lobby for an emergency, Paging Healer Francis to the Main Lobby for an emergency."_

A quick snap and a tall middle aged man appeared before them. A few others, both men and women came rushing out of a door just down the hall with a gurney in tow as they ran to meet up with the group in the lobby.

Healer Francis rushed to Draco and looked down at Hermione. He waved his hand behind him to have the nurses bring the gurney over.

"Set her down son." He asked Draco calmly as he stepped out the way.

Draco carefully laid Hermione down and stepped back. He didn't notice before how pale she had gotten or how fragile she looked. Even worse, he didn't notice the blood that had seeped out of her and onto his white sleeve.

 _'She told him something was wrong and he fucking passed it off as nothing! How could he be so stupid? Why didn't he listen to her and get the Healer to come right away?'_

The Healer and nurses rushed Hermione down the hall and into an elevator. Harry rushed after them but didn't make it in time before the doors closed. He turned back around and made his way to the desk, demanding to know where they have taken Hermione. Draco wasn't listening though. He stood frozen in the same spot staring off into nothingness with his arms at his side.

 _'This was his fault; if he had only just listened to her. She had been extra tired the last few days and hardly ate anything put in front of her. She was extra moody and emotional as well but not enough to make him think something was wrong. Why didn't he pay more attention? He passed it off as her having her monthly, but it was obvious a not long ago, that she wasn't on her period. What could have possibly made her collapse?'_

Harry was calling his name but he wasn't listening. He kept thinking about how this was all his fault as he stared into oblivion.

"Malfoy!" Harry called out touching his shoulder but Draco just stood there.

"This is my fault." He whispered as he raised his blood stained arm and looked at it.

"This isn't your fault Malfoy." Harry stated calmly. "Come on they said she is going to the second floor."

"But she told me she thought something was wrong with her!" he stated in frustration ripping his shoulder out of Harry's grasp. "I saw her getting sick and I didn't do anything! And now…now she's unconscious and bleeding for no reason!"

"Malfoy! Calm down. We don't know anything yet and I saw the signs too but passed it off. She always took care of herself when she got sick so I didn't think anything about it. This isn't anyone's fault and right now we need to be there for her and find out what happened, so let's go!"

Harry grabbed Draco's arm and pulled him to the elevator. He hit the button marked '2' and waited for the elevator to close. The lift moved up and stopped after what felt like hours to Draco. Time moved so slowly to him he just wished he knew what was wrong.

 _"Floor 2, Ward for Magical Bugs and Diseases."_ A speaker on the elevator announced.

"Bugs and Diseases? Why the fuck did they bring her to this floor Potter?" Draco question in anger.

"They don't know what caused it. It's to make sure she wasn't bit by anything or contracted something before they move on to potions and spells. This is the first place they bring ER patients with unknown illnesses. The waiting room is over there." he pointed down the hall "We can wait there until someone comes out and talks to us. I am going to see if someone can floo the house and talk to Ron and Ginny and get her paperwork filled out. I'll be right back, okay?"

Draco nodded his head and Harry rushed off to find a staff member. Draco walked slowly down the hall and into the waiting room. He looked around and saw a few people crowding around each other. Some were crying and some were patiently reading a magazine or newspaper. A few kids were in a corner playing with some muggle game, stacking wooden blocks on top of each other making the tower bigger until it fell over and they began laughing.

He sat himself away from everyone and placed his face in his hands. He wanted to cry or scream out but he didn't. He told himself he needed to hold it together, so he stayed in that position for a few minutes trying to get his emotions under control. It wasn't until Harry had come back and sat next to him that he sat up and leaned back in the chair.

"Everyone should be here soon. Ginny, Ron, Blaise, and Theo explained everything to Seamus, Dean, and Neville. Luna I guess tried to help too. I don't know how she already knew but that's Luna for you."

Draco took a deep breath in and looked around the room again. The kids had reset the game they were playing and all Draco wanted to do was going over and knock the blasted tower down in anger. He took another breath and turned his attention elsewhere.

"Luna knew before anyone else knew. She found a picture of me and Hermione on the Titanic in a muggle museum." He explained.

"Oh well. Leave it up to Luna to find everything out before us all." He chuckled slightly.

Draco however was in no laughing mood. He crossed his arms and waited. Eventually the rest of the group showed up and began asking questions he didn't have the answers to.

"How is she?" Ginny asked as she rushed to Harry.

"We don't know. No one has come out to talk to us yet." Harry replied softly.

"What happened?" Ron asked frantic.

"We don't know."

"Where is she now?" Neville chimed in.

"WE DON'T KNOW! Merlin's Beard stop asking questions we don't have the answers to!" Draco yelled out putting his face back into his hands.

He could hear Ginny whisper to Harry and the others but he ignore them. He didn't want to hear them anymore anyway. His only focus was on Hermione and hoping she was okay.

The hours passed by and no one said a word. He figured it was in fear of being snapped at again but he didn't care. He needed to know what was wrong and the waiting was killing him. Every time a Healer walked in he sat up, but he was always disappointed when they went to talk to someone else. He lost hope anytime a staff member entered the room after the first three; the Healer that entered now, was no exception.

However this time the Healer walked to his group. Draco's eyes widened and he sat up quickly. The rest of the group saw his actions and realized why he did it. He stood up when the Healer finished walking over to him. The healer looked tired and defeated which had Draco very worried.

"My name is Healer Barska. Are you all family and friends of Ms. Hermione Granger?" the Healer asked politely.

The group collectively nodded their heads so he continued.

"Is she okay?" Draco asked not looking away from the man.

"I am assuming you are the significant other?" He asked calmly.

"I am. She is my fiancée. How is she doing? Is she okay? No one has told us anything for hours! What the fuck have you people been doing?" he started to get mad.

"Healer Francis is with her now but please try to calm down Sir. I will not tolerate-"

"Do you know who I am!" he yelled out and he could feel Ginny's hand on his left arm.

"Sir who you are does not-"

"You might want to reconsider your next words very carefully Healer Barska." Blaise interrupted. "Are you new to England? Have you not read a paper lately?"

"I am just moved here from America a few weeks ago and I am very busy man Sir. I do not have time to read the papers or listen to idol gossip."

"Okay well let me clear things up for you. Hermione Granger, best friend of Harry Potter, who is right there and Ron Weasley, right over there. She is one third of the golden trio who help defeat the Dark Lord who I am sure you have heard of. Her fiancé is Draco Malfoy; son of Lucius Malfoy, who, has donated more than enough money to this hospital to keep it up and running and are both ex Death Eaters. They have major in's with the Ministry, so if you want to keep your job at this hospital then I suggest you know who you are working on and who you are speaking to. Now answer the man and tell us what is wrong with Granger." Blaise explained rather calmly.

"I…I am sorry Sir. I didn't know….She is fine but-."

"Oh thank Godric!" Ginny exclaimed.

"When can I see her?" Draco asked impatiently.

"Well, there are a few things we need to go over first. There were some complications and we had to do surgery to stop the bleeding. It was touch and go; we almost lost her a few times but managed to revive her. The cause was a ruptured fallopian tube due to an Ectopic Pregnancy."

"I'm sorry what?" Harry asked confused.

Draco's face dropped at the sudden realization that Hermione not only almost died but was also pregnant. He stumbled backwards in shock; Harry reached out catching him and helped him sit down.

"An Ectopic Pregnancy." He continued "It's where the fertilized egg implants itself outside of the uterus. Now under normal circumstances, in the muggle word, there is no way to save the pregnancy and most of the time the tube itself. However, in the wizarding world, we have proper spells to place the egg back into the uterus safely; saving the fetus and the tube. She is sleeping now but she is weak. We currently have her on a blood replenishing potion IV to restore the blood she lost and moved her to the maternity ward on the fifth floor. We have also done a few tests and upon further inspection, have come to the conclusion that she is six weeks along."

"Six weeks? That's impossible!" Draco managed to finally say.

"Have you two not had sex in the past two month?" he asked carefully.

"You don't understand Healer Barska. It is impossible. Hermione hasn't had sex with anyone up until about a week or two ago." Ginny added.

"It's quite possible actual-" Luna began but was cut off by Barska.

"Well she is six weeks pregnant Miss. We have done multiple pregnancy charms to confirm. I do have to ask though; she appears to have received a contraption spell not long before she collapsed. I am afraid that spell being used countless times after the initial pregnancy began, can cause this type of situation to occur in witches. If you didn't know she was pregnant beforehand, it is perfectly understandable. It happens more often than not."

"I want to see her…Now!" Draco demanded as he stood up confused and angry.

"I can allow only immediate family at this time to vis-"

Draco walked up to the man and grabbed a hold of his lapel. His hands were turning red and his body felt like it was on fire.

"You are getting on my last nerve!" He hissed through gritted teeth. "You will let me and her friends, who are her family, to see her and you will let us see her now!"

The man's scrubs started smoking under Draco's hands and he looked absolutely terrified but Draco was far from caring. He would do whatever it took to see Hermione and the shit the man was saying about six weeks, to him, was utter bullocks. He was furious now.

 _'Hermione almost died because of his stupid mistakes and now this blasted Healer wouldn't let him see her? He was the one who used the spell on her all those times and never thought anything of-wait…shit, he didn't use the spell the night before they returned to this time…fuck! They both fell asleep and then had such a busy day; it slipped both of their minds. If he fucking remembered to use the spell in the first place then they wouldn't be in this mess! This is exactly why he tried pushing her away the first time. He knew he would be the one to fuck her life up and drag her down into his hell.'_

The more he thought about it the angrier he got. At himself and at the Healer for reminding him of mistake he made.

"Malfoy?" Harry cautiously approached on his left knowing exactly what Draco was capable of after seeing what he had done on the ship. "Malfoy you need to calm down, the man is just doing his job."

"Draco." Blaise tried to help as he began to slowly walk towards him on the right. "Draco let him go; Granger wouldn't want you to do this."

Both men had their hands up cautiously as they eased themselves closer to him. Draco ignored them and concentrated all of his anger at the Healer. Wind suddenly came out of nowhere, swirling around him but he brushed it off and continued to think about what a screw up he was.

 _'This was his entire fault. He hurt Hermione. He hurt the one person he swore to himself he would protect. He hurt the only woman he has ever loved. She almost died because of him. How could he do this to her? He didn't deserve her. He didn't deserve anyone. Everything he touches goes bad. She was no exception. He couldn't do it anymore; he had to let her go…for her own safety. He couldn't risk hurting her again…No, not again. He had to see her. He had to see her one last time before he walked away from her…for good.'_

People in the waiting room began screaming and running away. Adults were scooping up children and carrying them to safety as the wind picked up and clap of thunder echoed through the room. The group he was with, brought out their wands as they looked around the room in confusion but kept an eye on the Draco as his rage boiled over.

"DRACO!" Blaise yelled above the noise as he held a hand up to shield his eyes from the wind. "DRACO YOU NEED TO CALM DOWN!"

But Draco didn't move. He stood his ground as he looked at the man who told him the worst news he could ever hear.

 _'That spell being used countless times after the initial pregnancy began, can cause this type of situation to occur… He had basically told him, he caused this to happen to the love of his life. He survived a fucking ship sinking, just to watch Hermione almost die in his arms from yet another one of his fucking choices! He couldn't take it anymore.'_

He removed his hands from the Healers jacket and fell to his knees. The Healer ran out of the room in fear as security ran down the hall to the waiting room. They stopped though, once they saw the scene and pulled their wands out. Ginny ran over and placed herself in front of them to stop them from hexing Draco and the rest of the group, that wasn't memorized by what was happening, joined her. The wind however, never died down as another clap of thunder rolled through the room. He put his face in his hands as he began to cry.

 _'He always hurt people. He was a coward and a failure. How could Hermione love him? He was worthless. He got Fred killed, Dumbledore, hell even Snape died because he was the fucking true owner of the Elder wand until Potter disarmed him! He couldn't help her in the Drawing Room and there was absolutely nothing he could do to help her now. Why the hell did he deserve any type of happiness when he caused everyone around him to die? He should have seen this coming! He never should have allowed himself to fall in love with her. He should have just stayed away the first time he tried to leave her. Why the fuck did he have to get so close to her? She was better off without him. She has Potter and Weasley to help her; he should just leave now. She would be so much happier without him.'_

 **Friday, April 13** **th** **, 2001 09:41pm**

 **Harry's POV**

Harry knew what was happening the moment the wind picked up. He saw the power that Malfoy had from the memories and knew he possessed emotional magic. Hermione had explained it to him further a few days ago but never in his life did he think he would witness power of this magnitude. The wind wiped through the room knocking books over and blowing papers everywhere. The thunder cracked loudly almost as if he was right under a storm.

 _'A storm? Wait…Malfoy created that storm the night he and Hermione fought on the pier in 1912. That explains so much now! He's angry at himself just like he was on night of their date. If it wasn't for Hermione telling him she didn't hate him, the storm would never have subsided as quickly as it did. But why was he angry at himself right now? Did he blame himself for what happened to Hermione or did he blame himself for getting her pregnant? But he didn't know she was pregnant…oh Merlin, please tell me he doesn't think she lied to him about not being with someone before she got with him?"_

Harry turned around frantic and he looked for the one person he knew might have an answer. He finally looked to the entrance and spotted Luna pointing her wand with Ginny, Neville, Ron and Theo at the four security guards trying to get in. He quickly rushed over to her and pulled her aside.

"Luna!" He yelled over the wind while dodging a book that flew by his head. "What were you saying about it being possible for Hermione to be six weeks pregnant?"

She looked at him confused for a moment but then looked over his shoulder at Draco.

"They traveled back in time!" she yelled looking back at Harry "Pregnancy that occurs in the past and then brought back to the present has a way of speeding up! No one knows why and it is always different amounts of time depending of the distance traveled! I have never seen or heard of it happening to anyone I know but I have read a few books where it has been documented to happen with time turners!"

 _'It all makes sense now!'_

"Thank you!" he yelled out to her and went to turn but he felt her hand touch his arm.

"Harry wait!" she called out to him turning him back around and she dipped to avoid being hit by cup. "That is not why he is upset!"

"What do you mean?"

"He is blaming himself for her almost dying! He thinks this is his all his fault, because I think, he was the one who used the spell on her!" she stated with a saddened expression.

Harry nodded his head in understanding and turned back. He walked across the room and knelt in front of Draco. He took a deep breath in as he realized that this was Draco's breakdown. Blaise had moved forward to stop Harry from getting too close but Harry held up a hand to tell him to stand down. He had to calm Draco down without the interference of anyone else.

 _'He knew how to handle Hermione when she had an attack but Malfoy…he was a whole different story. He had to handle this carefully or he would tear the entire hospital apart._ '

"Malfoy!" he began as he carefully touched his shoulders with his hands.

Draco didn't move or even flinch at the touch but he knew he could feel him. His body felt hot to the touch but Harry didn't remove his hands from him.

"Malfoy this isn't your fault! You didn't know! This is not your fault! If you don't stop you are going to tear the whole hospital apart!"

Draco removed his hands from his face and looked up at Harry. His face was red and he was obviously still crying but he didn't say anything. Instead he lowered his head and looked at the floor.

"Malfoy!" Harry called out.

When Draco still didn't look at him he knew he had to do more. So he did the only thing he knew would get Draco's attention.

"LOOK AT ME FERRET!" He screamed out.

Draco's head snapped up and his light grey eyes turned dark as he glared him down. The wind grew stronger and flipped the table the kids were playing on earlier, over.

"Good! Now listen to me! This is not your fault! You didn't cause this! Say it with me! Come on Draco, say it! This…"

"Th…this." Draco managed to say through his tears.

"Is not your fault!"

"Is…not…my…"

"Fault, come on Malfoy!"

"Fault…This…is not…m…my fault."

"You did not cause this!"

"I…but I did!" Draco yelled out in frustration as he gripped his hair and lowered his head.

The glass on the window frame let out a loud crack as it began to weaken from the wind and a loud boom of thunder ripped across the room.

"YOU DIDN'T! NOW LOOK AT ME!" Harry screamed again as he lowered his head to look at Draco's face. "Say it! You did not do this!"

"I did not…do this." Draco repeated lifting his head back up.

"Hermione loves you Malfoy…say it!"

"Hermione…love…loves me."

"Say it again!"

"Hermione loves me."

"Believe it Malfoy! Feel it! She would not want you to blame yourself for this! You have a child on the way! You are going to be a father Draco!"

Draco's face suddenly went serious as Harry said those last words. It seemed that mentioning his child was what he needed to calm down. The wind began to weaken slightly, so Harry thought more about what to say to help calm the Slytherin down.

"You have a baby on the way Malfoy. You can't just think about yourself or Hermione anymore. You have to think about what your child wants."

Draco's expression softened as Harry continued. The wind was greatly slowing down but it still wasn't enough; he had to keep going.

"You are going to raise that baby with Hermione and you are going to give them everything your father couldn't. Your child needs you Draco; Hermione needs you."

Papers were still flying through the air but the wind was no longer strong enough to lift up books and magazines so Harry continued.

"You need to think about what you are doing right now; this isn't you. You are letting your anger get the best of you Malfoy. Don't let it win; be better then it. Concur it…Own it. Think of the family you are about to have. Think about Aquila and what she has done for you so you can have this family."

The wind fully subsided as Draco's body temperature cooled.

 _'He did it! He found a way to calm Malfoy without Hermione'_ he mentally cheered to himself _'He just now really hoped he wouldn't have to experience that again but he knew he would. He just prayed to God he could teach Malfoy to control his magic before his anger got the best of him and took an entire building full of people down.'_

"Thank you." Draco muttered softly after a few long seconds before lowering his head to look at his hands.

"Don't mention it." Harry replied with a gentle smile as he removed his hands from Draco's arms. "Now we just need to explain to the hospital what just happened…Do you think you can help me manage that before we go see Hermione?" Harry asked calmly.

Draco nodded his head but never looked up.

"Actually," Harry began when he looked up at Blaise. "How about Zabini and I talk to the hospital while I have Ginny sit with you. You look like you need a break and I guarantee the best person to help you with that, is her…" he looked around the room "You also might need to make a sizable donation, to fix all this."

"Okay." Draco stated rather sadly, still not looking up from his hands.

Harry stood up and nodded to Blaise to help him. They both grabbed a bicep and pulled Draco to his feet; walking him over to a chair they sat him down.

"Hey Gin." Harry called out not looking away from the blonde Slytherin Prince. "Can you sit with Malfoy while Zabini and I talk to the hospital?"

Ginny apparently was still pointing her wand at one of the security guards who was trying to enter the room, in anger.

"Once sec!" She yelled back.

Harry turned his head to look at his wife and saw her hex a guard, who had managed to push passed Theo, in the back. He fell to his knees and instantly covered his face with his hands. His face contorted and his hands were pushed out of the way as a bat flew out of his nose. The guard let out a scream in panic and stood up. He swatted at the bat but as soon as he did another one flew out of his nose. He freaked out and ran out of the room in terror. Ginny however was proudly smiling while she crossed the room and sat down next to Draco.

"Great, now I also have to explain to the hospital about how my wife just hexed a security guard with the bat-bogey hex." Harry sighed in defeat.

"Well he was being a pompous jerk. He deserved it." She replied defending herself. "I can explain that for you if you like."

"No, no that is quite alright Gin. Zabini and I can handle it."

Harry kissed his wife on the top of the head and began to walk out of the room. He first stopped the standoff that was happening at the entrance as more guards arrived and Dean and Seamus joined in. He managed to explain to the Head Officer who he was and the department he worked for. He told him what exactly just happened and that everything was under control now. Thanking Merlin he was an Auror and was trained to handle situations like this, he was also able to talk the officers down from arresting Draco. Now he just needs to explain to the rest of the staff what happened and hopefully avoid reporters he knew would be sniffing around for a story.

 _'Life as an Auror was never ending. He definitely needed a drink after this.'_


	34. Chapter 34- Family

Chapter 34- Family

 **Sunday, April 15** **th** **, 2001 10:20am**

Hermione had been asleep for almost two days and it was driving Draco insane. He hadn't moved from the chair in her room. He hadn't eaten or slept the whole time. Ginny and others had tried numerous times to get him to eat or take a break to shower and change, but he refused any and all help. He only wanted Hermione to wake up. He wanted to see her beautiful caramel eyes again. He wanted to apologize for putting her in this position in the first place.

He still wanted to leave her though, but Harry's words entombed in mind and created a battle in his head.

 _'You're going to be a father Draco.'_

He couldn't leave her alone to raise his child by herself. He couldn't leave his unborn baby that grew in her womb; their child. The one and only thing that Harry said could be used to calm him. His temper as of late was running wild and he couldn't control himself anymore. The incident that happening in the waiting room was out of his control. He tried so hard to calm himself but nothing worked. He didn't mean for his anger to get that crazy, but the more he thought about how he screwed up, the more pissed off he had become.

The only thing his friends were able to get him to do was drink an herbal lavender potion, to stop his rage from boiling over again. Harry and Blaise had also set up an appointment with a Healer, known to muggles, as a therapist. Apparently his demons ran deeper than even he knew and Harry could only do so much.

The idea of leaving however, out weighted all the reasons to stay. He thought about sending money and possibly seeing his child every so often cruised through his mind at a rapid speed. He loved her so much but he wouldn't, he couldn't, be the one to hurt her again. Like the old saying goes; if you love something, set it free. He wanted to be in his child's life but at the cost of hurting them too, was unimaginable.

The pain he was going through, he knew, would be nothing compared to the heartbreak he was going to bestow upon his little one.

 _'No…she wasn't his anymore.'_

Something in him had finally snapped and he stood up quickly from his chair, almost knocking it over. The only other three people in the room, Harry, Ginny, and Ron, looked at him in shock for a second as he stood there looking down at Hermione.

"Draco?" Ginny began "What's wrong? Are you okay?" she asked in concern as she looked at him suspiciously from her chair in the corner.

"I…I can't do this…I have to go." He stammered.

Before anyone could say anything he turned on his heels and walked out of the door. He heard Harry calling out for him as he quickly walked down the corridor on the fifth floor. He made it to an exit door; pushing it open he ran down the steps in a sweat. Once he reached the bottom he stormed out of the stairwell and crossed the Main Lobby to a vacant fireplace. He grabbed a handful of floo powder off the ledge and stepped in.

He lifted his hand to drop the power and call out a location but stopped. He was hesitant and he didn't know why. He wanted so badly to leave; to leave this place behind, to leave Hermione but something was eating at him. Looking up, Harry could be seen running out of the stairwell. He stopped and looked around until his eyes landed on the fireplaces. He began to jog across the lobby yelling Draco's name but he wasn't quick enough. Draco ignored his gut feeling and dropped the powder.

"Malfoy Manor!" he yelled out before a green ember rose from the ashes and submerged him.

Arriving at the Manor, Draco took off and ran up the stairs to his bedroom. He passed his mother and father on the way, who looked at him in confusion.

"Draco!" his mother called out but he ignored her and continued on his way.

Once he made it to his room he slammed the door closed and locked it. He quickly looked around the room until he found his old school trunk. Grabbing it he threw it on the bed and opened it before rushing to his closest, grabbing a few clothes he left behind before he moved. Once the trunk was full he pulled out his wand and did a shrinking charm to create more space. He closed the lid in a hurry, locking it, grabbed his Firebolt that was leaning near the door, and ran out of the room. He jogged down the corridor and down the stairs.

"Draco wait! He heard Harry call out.

He turned around and saw Harry and his parents rushing toward him. He didn't have time to listen to what they had to say. He was done trying to listen to the useless words they kept on repeating to him like it would make a difference. Nothing was going to change his mind this time. Nothing they could say or do would stop him from leaving. He was done hurting Hermione and he was not about to hurt his child either.

Draco turned back around and walked to the front door. He could hear the trio behind him running to catch up, calling out his name but he ignored them and started running down the path way to the gates. Once he was outside of the gate he apparated to his flat. He landed in the living room of his overly large, modernized, apartment and quickly made his way to bedroom a few doors down the hallway. He repeated the process of filling his trunk but stopped midway through when he heard a loud pop in his living room.

He cursed himself for forgetting to put his wards up to prevent anyone from entering; resting his hands on the trunk he lowered his head and tried to breathe. His bedroom door opened slowly as Blaise entered.

"Draco? What are you doing mate?" he asked shaking his head in disappointment as he crossed his arms and leaned on the frame.

"Like it matters?" Draco retorted in arrogance.

"Of course it matters mate. You can't just leave."

"And why the hell not!" he shouted turning to face Blaise. "I am cursed!"

Blaise was thrown back a bit but composed himself and leaned off the wall.

"Are you really making this about you? Everything that girl has gone through and you are making this about you? Have you even thought about what this would do to Granger? She will hate you for this!" Blaise stated in anger as he took a step forward.

"Then let her hate me! It's what is best! I…I can't hurt her again; I can't hurt my child either." Draco gave up defeated and moved to sit on the king size bed next to his trunk.

"Mate…Don't you get it? You will hurt this child more then you ever could by walking away. You are really going to leave your child to be raised without a father; or worse, to be raised by another man? Who are you? The Draco I know would never do something like that. Not after being raised the way his own father raised him. So be it if Granger hates you, but you would allow your own flesh and blood to hate you as well?"

Draco took in a deep breath as he tried to control his emotions and not cry in front of his best friend; so he ran a hand down his face as he exhaled to calm himself.

"I can't do this Blaise. Everything I touch gets hurt or…dies. I can't do it anymore. I am done. Their lives will be so much easier with me gone."

"You're not thinking of…offing yourself are you?" Blaise asked cautiously as he stood in front of Draco.

"What? No! I apparently have too much pride for that."

"But you don't have enough pride to not leave the love of your life or your unborn baby?" George Weasley asked as he stepped into the room.

The question not only hit Draco like a ton of bricks smacking him I the chest but he was now confused on how and why George Weasley was even in his flat. He looked nothing like how he thought he would though. He half expected him to look defeated and broken but he wasn't. He looked like the twin he always remembered from school; just a little older and standing in his home.

"I know." George stated holding up a hand as he walked across the room. "This is the last place I ever thought I would end up. I was on my way up to see Hermione and saw you run down the hall. Ron tried to explain what happened but couldn't, so Zabini mentioned that he knew where you would go. I just tagged along, hope you don't mind. And in case you are wondering, the whole family already knows about your relationship with Hermione from the papers and Harry showed us all the memories a few days ago after mum went ballistic saying she would curse you to the veil and back."

"Oh." Was all Draco could manage to say as he lowered his head and looked at the floor.

"You know." George continued when Draco didn't answer further. "Hurting the people you love…is just a part of marriage. The couples that are 'meant to be' are the ones who go through everything that is meant to tear them apart and come out even stronger than before. I certainly think the Titanic proved that and now…now this trial is going to test you. She is just as much a part of you as you are of her Malfoy. I saw that memory of when you almost died…It broke her. If you leave now, she will break to the point of no repair."

Draco looked up at George who was now standing in front of him, in sadness as he finally allowed himself to listen.

"Knowing from experience when I lost my brother; the hardest part about losing someone whether they leave or pass away, isn't the saying goodbye. It's learning to live without them; always trying to fill the void, the emptiness that is left inside your heart when they go. It never leaves you and the only thing that can fill it…is that person. You two haven't been together for long but seeing how you two grew when you were stuck in the past…" he shook his head "There are happy memories too Malfoy; not just the bad ones you keep holding over the good. She loves you, no matter how much you hurt her. You called her a Mudblood for Godric's sake and she still forgave you. Don't you remember what she said to you? She doesn't hate you…she never did and I bet my life she never will…unless; unless you leave her and your child alone."

"I have made so many mistakes that cost people so much though, including you." Draco managed to say in a cracked voice.

"And you will keep making them, so will she…I don't blame you for Fred's death you know? You were just a boy back then and stuck in a place you couldn't get out of. Anyone of us could have been in your shoes and done the same thing just to survive. That doesn't make you terrible or a cursed person mate. Your choices were made for you. But understand this Malfoy, you walk away now and she will never forgive you. Walking away will be a choice that YOU make and it will be the biggest mistake of your life. It will affect you the most; more than it will affect her. You will miss out on your child's first steps, their first words, their first day on Platform 9 ¾…their first Quidditch game…Is that what you want? To miss out on love from not only Hermione, who will stand by you through everything, but from your child as well? Because that is not the Malfoy I know. The Malfoy I know would fight tooth and nail to fix this and find a way to stay. If those two people aren't enough reason for you to not leave then I don't know what is."

George's words crushed Draco as he contemplated the weight of the meaning.

 _'He realized that the only thing in life that made him finally happy, other than flying…was Hermione. If he left and found a way to fix himself then…then there would be no coming back. She would never forgive him and he would miss everything important moment in both her life and his child's. George seemed to be the only one who had said anything remotely close to what he needed to hear.'_

"Why are you helping me?" Draco asked skeptically.

"I am not doing this just for you. I am doing this for Hermione more than anything." He shrugged "She has already went through one heartbreak because of me; even if she doesn't know it, but I'll be damned if I allow her to go through another one because of you…I watched her grow up, you know? I've seen the bullshit she had to go through and I was there the first time you called her that filthy word. I saw the heart break you caused her Malfoy. I saw the pain she endured because of you, but…I also saw from the memories, the happiness you created in her; the love you gave to her. I have never seen her that happy before, not even with Ron. I don't exactly know what it is about you or if you even noticed the way she would light up when you would enter a room on that ship, but I do know that she is like my sister, and if making her happy means I have to help you from making a huge mistake…then so be it. She is family which makes you family, Draco…Just know, that if you do decide to walk out of her life then at least have the decency to tell her to her face."

Draco looked at the twin in astonishment. He never once thought he would ever speak to the man, let alone have him help him. But he had a point. He couldn't leave Hermione; he loved her too much and leaving would only hurt her more. Especially if he took the coward's way out and left her without at least talking to her first.

 _'She was right during their first fight. He always found a way to run when things got real…Well this time, he wouldn't run. This time he would stand his ground and protect her…his family…he finally had a real family and he will do whatever it takes to make sure she and everyone else, stayed his family.'_

He shook his head at the thought and realized just how important she was to him.

"I need to see her." He stood up in determination.

"Well let's go then mate!" Blaise stated in excitement as he stood up from the chair he sat in.

Draco looked back at George and half smiled.

"Thanks…for help me."

"Anything for family mate, anything." George responded with a smile and wrapped his arm around Draco's shoulders. "Let's get you back to your girl, shall we!"

X

 **Sunday, April 15** **th** **, 2001 01:53pm**

Hermione's eyes fluttered as she awoke from her dreamless sleep. The sun was shining down on her face, blinding her as she tried to look around the room. Her throat was dry and she was absolutely parched. Someone was lying on her hand but she was too focused on the slight irritation in her belly, to care. Whoever was asleep next to her though suddenly shot up and called out for someone.

"Ow…not so loud." She whispered through clenched teeth as she held a hand to her head.

"Hermione?" Draco asked in concern, removing his hands from her. "How are you feeling?"

"My stomach hurts a little and I have a headache but I think I am okay…Where am I?" she asked as she tried to sit up.

Draco reached around the front of her, to help her sit up, and fluffed the pillow behind her head.

"You are at St. Mungo's. What do you remember?"

"I…I remember feeling nauseous from all the smells in the room and then…nothing. I blacked out. What happened?" she asked looking at Draco's tired and worn face. "What's wrong Draco? Why do you look like I died or something?"

"You did, a few times actually." Healer Francis chimed in as he walked into the room.

"What?" Hermione asked confused.

"Forgive me, I am Healer Francis. Let me explain a little further; you had an Ectopic Pregnancy which ruptured your fallopian tube causing you to almost bleed out. Luckily we were able to save you and the baby in just the nick of time."

"I'm sorry what?" She asked squinting her face "I'm…I'm pregnant?"

"Six weeks to be exact."

"Six weeks?" she exclaimed in disbelief as she looked at Draco but he seemed to not want to look at her "How-what? That is not possible!"

The Healer looked down at her and lowered his spectacles slightly.

"I am afraid it is completely possible. Your fiancé here told me after his break down, that he will explain that all to you later, but for now, let's check your vitals shall well."

He moved around the bed to her right and began examining her.

"Breakdown?" she asked even more confused "What breakdown? What the hell happened? How long was I asleep?"

"About two day." Francis replied while holding a light to her eye. "Are you experiencing any pain Ms. Granger?"

"I have a slight headache and my stomach hurts a little- can someone please tell me what breakdown you are talking about?"

"A headache is to be expected after being asleep for so long and the amount of blood you lost. The pain in your stomach is caused by your surgery and should go away in a few days. I will prescribe you some pain relief potion before you leave that is safe for the baby."

"Surgery? Wh-"

"Shh, Hermione I will explain everything later, okay? For now just rest and let the Healer work." Draco interrupted but then quickly looked away from her.

Hermione nodded her head but was still frustrated that no one would answer her questions. She laid her head back down as the Healer pulled out his wand and began a few spells on her belly.

"Everything seems to have healed nicely. We will monitor you over night and if everything looks good tomorrow morning then you will be released. If there is anything else I can do for you please do not hesitate to press the call button here." He lifted a device that looked similar to a remote to show her.

She nodded her head and looked at Draco who had a hand to his chin but still wouldn't look at her.

"Thank you Healer Francis." He stated looking at the man and then to the ground.

She raised a brow and wondered why Draco was avoiding eye contact with her.

 _'Did she do something wrong? Why was he avoiding her? Was it because she was pregnant?'_

The healer bowed slightly and walked out of the room. Before she could ask Draco what was wrong Ginny came barging into the room.

"Hermione!" She shouted. "You're awake! Oh thank Godric, you had us so worried." She crossed the room and hugged Hermione.

"How are you feeling?" Harry asked from behind Ginny as she pulled away and leaned down to hug her as well.

"I'm okay." She answered as she kept an eye on Draco who had moved further away from her.

"Where is everyone? I thought Ron would at least be here."

"Ron went across the street to get you some real food and everyone else is waiting at the Manor for news; including the whole Weasley family." Harry replied with a smile.

"We should go tell them!" Ginny pipped up.

"You go on. I am sure they would love to hear that she is awake. Anyway I kind of want to talk to Malfoy and Hermione real quick." Harry stated kissing his wife on the forehead.

Ginny nodded her head in understanding; hugged Hermione once more and left the room.

"So." Harry began as he sat on the edge of the bed by Hermione's feet. "Malfoy asked me to mediate this conversation so I am just going to sit here quietly, making no noise at all, pretending don't exist."

"Harry!" Hermione called out.

"I was just kidding. But I am going to sit here quietly though so you guys can talk."

"Talk about what? What is going on?" Hermione asked fully frustrated looking at Draco. "And why won't you look at me?"

"Because I am ashamed of myself and don't deserve to look at you." Draco stated rather sadly.

"What? Someone better tell me what is going on this instant or I am going to hex you both to the wall!"

"I had a break down…in the waiting room." Draco admitted still not looking at her.

"Okay…what does that have to do with you avoiding eye contact with me?"

"I put you here Hermione. I am the one who kept using the contraption spell on you each time while you were pregnant."

"Did you know I was pregnant?"

"Of course not! If I did I wouldn't have done it!"

"So then why are you blaming yourself for something neither of us knew about?" she questioned with a raised brow.

"Because I always hurt you."

"Like I never hurt you? That is what happens in a relationship Draco. We hurt each other but that doesn't mean we can't get passed it."

"I almost killed a Healer Hermione…I can't control myself anymore. I almost took the whole hospital down."

Hermione's eyes widen and her mouth gaped open slightly.

"You what?" she asked shocked.

"I can't do this anymore. I don't want to hurt you. I thought a lot about leaving you…I actually did until George stopped me, but-"

"Wait, just stop." She held up a hand in anger. "Once again you tried to push me away without even talking to me about it first?"

"Hermio-" Draco tried to counter as he finally looked up at her.

"Once again you thought of only yourself and what matters to you and left me out of it! Once again you have decided to make my choices for me, instead of coming to me and giving me the respect I deserve to make up my own mind about whether or not I want to forgive you for doing something to me that neither of us had control over!"

"Hermione I-"

"Get out." She stated coldly.

"What?" Draco questioned in surprise.

"Get…Out." She repeated firmly with her arms crossed.

"Hermione don't do this." Harry interrupted.

"Do what Harry? Kick him out? He wants to go so badly then let him! I am done trying to stop him from leaving me and I am done trying to be sensitive and understanding when he wants to keep walking out of my life without even telling me what the problem is in the first place. He tried to leave me while I was unconscious from almost dying, while pregnant with his kid!"

"Mione come on think ab-"

"I have thought about it Harry and I am done." She turned to Draco "You can leave now."

"No!" he answered firmly as he stood up. "No I am not leaving you!"

"Oh, but you had no problem leaving me before when I wasn't awake; or when you tried to push me away on the ship for no reason." She sat up in the bed "You have no problem making decisions for me and only thinking about what you want!" she scoffed "Same old Draco Malfoy, you will never change. You will always be the same foul, loathsome, evil, little cockroach."

"That I not true and you know it!" Draco shouted.

Ron ran into the room carrying a bag of food with shock and confusion written all over his face.

"What the bloody hell?" he asked as he panted. "What is going on?"

"Oh but it is! You only put your needs above everyone else's including mine! Get out!"

"No!"

"GET OUT! LEAVE! I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU! GET OUT!" she screamed as she flailed her body and hit the bed in anger.

"Mione calm down!" Harry pleaded as he stood up to stop her movements.

Draco stood frozen in place with wide eyes and a hurt expression. He looked like he didn't know what to do. He sat back down and put his face in his hands as he leaned forward, resting his arms on his legs.

Harry raised a hand to tell Ron to back off as he inched his way closer. Harry looked back to Hermione who was now staring Draco down seething in anger.

"Mione you don't mean that." Harry stated a little mournful. "It's just the stress and the pregnancy getting to you."

She refused to look away from Draco who was now lightly whimpering into his hands. He quickly stood up and pushed his way past Ron almost knocking him over to get out of the room. The door slammed and it startled Hermione, more than she cared to admit, knocking her anger away and bringing sadness into the mist. Ron set the food down and ran out of the room after Draco.

Tears began to fall down her face as she realized what she just did. She stared at the door hoping it would open again and Draco would walk through as if this was all some big joke; but he didn't.

"Oh God!" she cried out cover her mouth with her hand.

She looked back to Harry who looked rather sad himself and grabbed his arm tightly.

"Harry what did I do? Oh God Harry, bring him back please! Please!" she begged in a panic.

"I can't Mione. You both need your space right now and I can't leave you like this." He claimed as he began to stand up and hold her hand.

"Harry please?" she begged through tears. "Please…I need him."

"Okay…okay but I need you to breathe, alright? Just calm down and I will go get him."

She nodded her head and took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. Harry let go of her hand and rushed out of the room. She sat there waiting; trying to think of whatever she could to get Draco back.

 _'She didn't mean it. She just wanted to show him what it felt like to feel betrayed like she felt. She didn't want him to actually leave but anger over took her and she felt hatred towards him. What the hell was wrong with her? Why would she say that to him? The blasted emotions were too much…is that what Draco felt like all of the time? To not be able to control his emotions like she was unable to now? Oh Merlin she needed him.'_

After what felt like hours Harry slowly opened the door and walked in. Draco wasn't with him and she began to panic.

"Where is he? Harry? Why isn't he with you?" she asked with a shaken voice.

"He…he needs some time Mione. You just told him you hated him. He's heart broken. You really hurt him. I gave him a calming potion so hopefully he doesn't tear whatever building he's in, down." Harry explained calmly.

"He's…not in the hospital?"

"No. Ron took him for a walk to calm down and I brought you a book to read." He pulled out 'The Tales of Beedle the Bard' and handed it to her.

She looked at the book and set in on the nightstand next to her. Lowering herself to the bed she curled up into a ball, pulled the blanket closer to her, and began crying. Harry crawled into the bed behind her and held her tightly as she cried herself to sleep.

 **09:23pm**

Hermione was awoken by the door to her room opening slightly letting light in. She didn't open her eyes but figured it was Harry leaving since she could no longer feel him behind her anymore. She rolled over and faced away from the light and opened her eyes. She sighed deeply as she played what happened earlier in her head again.

As the fight played out a shadow of someone stood before her but she didn't look up.

 _'Maybe Harry was coming back instead of leaving?'_

The person crawled into bed with her and she instinctively curled up next to them and rested her face in their chest as they wrapped their arms around her. She took in another breath and realized that she recognized that smell.

 _'Apples and cinnamon…Draco!'_

She lifted her head up and her eyes met two grey ones.

"Draco!" she whispered 'Oh, Draco! I'm so sorry. I didn't mean it, I don't hate you, I love you, and I am so sorry." she quickly stated before he could change his mind about coming back.

"Shh, little cub…I know." He whispered, moving a stray hair from her face. "It's okay, I love you too." He kissed the top of her forehead and then rested his chin on top of her head.

She pulled back and looked him in the eyes.

"It's not okay. I shouldn't have pushed it that far I'm sorry."

"Hermione, that's what families do, remember? We hurt each other even when we don't mean to. I am sorry for trying to leave again. I promise I won't ever leave you again. I never break a promise love. I love you and I am here to stay. You are my family little one; you and our little bug. We are a family. We are going to hurt each other a lot and that is just life. We will work through it as long as we still love each other."

"But the things I said to you? They were so-"

"That was the pregnancy talking. My mother says all Malfoy babies give their mother a huge boost in emotions; far more than the average pregnancy. It almost makes you bi-polar really. Apparently the more emotional you are during the pregnancy; the more likely it's going to be a boy…by the way, she is over the moon about being a grandmother." He let out a light chuckle.

"She won't be the only one…Shit!" she held her hands to her face and buried them into Draco's chest.

"What?" he asked confused holding her more tightly

"My parents!" she exclaimed lifting her head. "They don't even know I am getting married let alone pregnant."

"Don't worry love. We will talk to them. But first there is something we need to do something that is well over due." He leaned down and kissed her lips tenderly.

She melted into him as the warmth as his lips pressed into hers. She loved him, all of him; even his temper. And she couldn't wait to marry him.


	35. Chapter 35- Granger's meet Malfoy

Chapter 35- Granger's meet Malfoy

 **Sunday, April 22** **nd** **, 2001 03:19pm**

Draco stood in front of a suburban house on the outskirts of muggle London. He was nervous as he looked at the family home of the Granger's; the home Hermione had grown up in. He knew her parents knew of him but he didn't really know the extent of their hatred towards him. He bullied their only child in school and now he was going to face them.

He took in a deep breath as he continued to look at the large, two-story, white brick house in the middle of something called a cul-de-sac. Hermione tried to prepare him for what was in store, while she was at Harry's house on bed rest, but nothing could prepare him for the face to face encounter.

They decided it was best to tell her parents the truth about how they fell in love and got pregnant; well parts of the truth. He definitely wasn't going to tell him the detail about the hardcore sex they had to create the baby in the first place. Instead they would tell them about the time travel and the ordeal they went through. It was the least they could do before they drop the news of their marriage and future baby.

Draco began to sweat but quickly pulled out his wand and did a drying spell on himself. Hermione grabbed his hand to soothe him but it wasn't really working.

 _'You are a wizard for Salazar sake! Get it together Draco, you can handle two muggles!'_

But they weren't just muggles, they were Hermione's parents; his soon to be in-laws. And he felt more terrified then when he ever faced Voldemort.

"You ready?" Hermione asked sweetly.

"Nope." He exhaled not looking away from the house.

"It'll be okay Draco. They will love you; I just know it." she tried to assure him.

"They hate me."

"They don't hate you. They don't even really know you." she moved to stand in front of him and began straightening his tie.

"They know what I have done to you. That is enough for any parent to hate me."

"Draco," she sighed "you just need to be yourself. They know what you did as a boy yes, but they are very forgiving people. Once they see that you have changed and make me happy then they will be fine with you…if not then…"

"Then what?" he asked in a panic looking down at her.

She let out a slight chuckle.

"Then nothing; stop worrying, everything will turn out fine. I mean I took their memories away, without their permission, for years and they forgave me afterwards."

"Because you are their daughter; I am just the bully who made your life at Hogwarts miserable."

"And you have atoned for that. Let's just tell them our story and see how it goes, okay?" she lifted her head up and pecked him on the lips.

"Okay." He stated, taking another deep breath and letting it out slowly.

The door to the house opened and before he could get a chance to say anything, he heard a woman scream in joy as she began running down the walkway towards them.

"Mia! Oh darling you made it! I am so happy to see you!" Mrs. Granger exclaimed with open arms.

Hermione turned away from Draco, but not before giving him a wide smile, and hugged her mother.

 _'Mia?'_

"Mum! It's so good to see you! Did you dye your hair? It looks lighter?...and shorter?" Hermione asked tilting her head as she pulled back from the hug.

"Why yes, I did! Your father wasn't too happy about it; says he likes it black but I wanted a change so I went a few shades lighter. Do you like it?" her mother asked as she bobbed her hand at the ends of her neck length hair.

"I love it! It looks wonderful mum." Hermione smiled.

Draco however was sweating, what muggles call bullets, although he never really understood that term but it he decided to go with it anyway.

"And who might this charming fellow be? You mentioned bringing a boy Hermione, but you never mentioned that that boy was actually a very handsome man." Mrs. Granger asked with a grin as she eyed Draco.

Hermione took a step back and stood slightly behind Draco.

"Mum…this, is Draco Malfoy."

Mrs. Granger's face fell as she held a hand to her chest.

"You don't mean…the Draco Malfoy do you? The boy who tormented you and your friends? The boy who worked for that…Volti-man?" she asked shocked.

"Voldemort, yes, but he's changed mum. Please just give him a chance?" Hermione pleaded as she took a step forward.

Mrs. Granger eyed Draco up and down, which made him feel small. He has never felt smaller in his whole life but at this moment, he felt like a beetle just waiting to be squashed.

 _'Gather your Slytherin pride and fix this situation before it gets any worse!'_

"It's…It's lovely to finally meet you Mrs. Granger…Hermione has told me so much about you and your husband…If…If I could, I would like to explain myself to both of you. Ease you mind a little about me. If you still don't approve I will go home. We don't even have to talk inside. I am okay with talking out here if you do not want me in your home. I completely understand." He managed to half stutter out.

"Non-sense." Mrs. Granger finally said after a few seconds of contemplating his words. "Any…friend, of Hermione's is welcome in our home. If she found a way to forgive you of your ways, then we most certainly can as well." She finished as she looked back at Hermione.

"Thank you mum!" Hermione exclaimed in glee.

She grabbed Draco's hand again and began following her mother down the walkway and into the house.

 _'Friend? She thinks I am only a friend…wait until she finds out I am so much more than that. She is going to kill me.'_

"You have a beautiful home Mrs. Granger." Draco stated kindly as they walked down the hallway to the sitting room.

"Thank you." she smiled looking back at him. "Hermione has spent her whole life here, except for the time she was living at Hogwarts; such a hard time for us…being away from her for so long."

"I understand completely. My mother was a mess the first day I left for school. She wrote every day and sent me my favorite chocolates."

"Oh dear! Chocolates? But doesn't she know about all the cavities that can give a child?" she stopped walking and looked at Draco in surprise.

"Forgive me but um…what are cavities?" he asked slightly confused.

"You, but…right…magic, slipped my mind." She tapped a few fingers to her temple at the realization. "I have only ever met a handful of Hermione's magical friends and they don't come around often. Cavities I assume are only a, what did you call us non magic people darling?"

"Muggles mum." Hermione smiled while holding Draco's arm.

"Right, muggles…wait…Are you two…dating?" she asked confused as she looked at her daughter's hands holding on to Draco.

"I, uh, I mean we, um, ehem." He responded not knowing what to say as he looked at Hermione for help.

"We have some things to tell you and dad, mum. But in short; yes." She explained looking away from him and back at her mother. "You might want to sit down for it all."

"Well, I uh, okay. Your father is in the garden, I'll put on some tea and fetch him." she stated still a little apprehensively.

Hermione nodded her head and walked into the sitting room. Draco sat down on one of the couches next to her and began tapping his fingers against each other nervously. After a few minutes, Mrs. Granger walked in the room with a tray of tea and biscuits and set it down on the coffee table. She took a seat on the opposite couch and smiled at the pair.

"Your father is on his way in. He is just cleaning himself up a bit in the shed."

Hermione nodded her head and the trio sat in an uncomfortable silence for a few more minutes. Draco could hear the clock over the fireplace ticking by and couldn't help but wonder how this next part was going to go. He didn't have to think long however, because Mr. Granger walked into the room, drying his hands on a towel.

"Mia! Love how are you?" he exclaimed in excitement as he bent down to kiss his daughter on the cheek. "I hear you have somethings you would like to talk about?...Who is this fine man?" he asked with a smile looking at Draco.

"I, uh." Draco cleared his throat and stood up nervously as he prepared to give the man his name. "I am…Draco Malfoy sir." He lowered his head slightly but didn't look away from the stunned father in front of him.

"The Draco Malfoy?" he asked looking at Hermione in surprise.

"Yes, dad. It's a long story, one we both want to tell you." Hermione responded as her father stood straight and frowned, but sat down next to his wife and stared down Draco who had seated himself back on the couch.

Draco was anxious but cleared his throat as Hermione began the tale, starting at the Ball.

XXXX

 **05:26pm**

"Wait." Mr. Granger held a hand up as he shook his head. "You are telling me this, Pansy girl, pushed you in front of everyone, causing you two to be thrown into the past?"

"Yes." Hermione answered biting her lower lip.

"And you went on the Titanic? The ship they made that movie about?...I loved that movie." Mrs. Granger added with a frown.

"Yes." Draco responded.

"Where you two fell in love and dined with your ancestor…Aquila was it?" Mr. Granger asked.

"Yes." Hermione answered again.

"And when the ship sank you saved each other, found a way to come back and now you are dating?" Mrs. Granger finished.

"Yes, yes, and yes." Hermione replied holding Draco's hand.

"So-"

"We are getting married!" Hermione basically shouted as she interrupted her mother.

Her parents looked thrown back and Draco was in just as much shock as them as he looked to Hermione in surprise. Hermione shrunk herself into the couch as she looked at her parents.

"What?" Her mother asked as she set her tea down gently.

"We…are getting married. Aquila rewrote her will to get him out of his arranged marriage and it was spur of the moment, so to speak, but he proposed in front of the whole ball and I accepted."

"Well, I, um, I uh, I am sorry for not asking for your permission first Mr. Granger." Draco managed to say through his shock of Hermione blurting out their engagement. "I, um, I wanted to but I was in too much excitement that I was finally able to marry for love, that I wasn't thinking about asking you first."

Mr. Granger still didn't look away from his daughter as he stood up angrily and took a breath. Draco prepared for the worst but what he wasn't expecting, was what her father said next.

"My little girl is getting married? You are getting married? Oh thank God it's not to that red headed boy! He is a little strange in my book." He smiled.

Draco was once again, thrown back and didn't know what to say. Mr. Granger walked around the table as Hermione stood up and hugged her tightly.

"Oh! This is so exciting!" Mrs. Granger stood up and clapped her hands. She too, hugged her daughter before turning to Draco and hugging him.

He was still in shock at what was happening but subconsciously hugged the woman back. Once she pulled away, Mr. Granger was waiting behind her with a hand outstretched. Draco took his hand but still had a face of utter confusion.

"My Dear boy, smile! You are getting married!" Mr. Granger announced.

"I…I…I am so confused." Draco stuttered out.

"Not the reaction you were expecting, were you?" Mrs. Granger asked pleasantly.

"No ma'am. Not in the slightest."

"Well, you saved our daughters life and by the looks of things, you have changed. You don't resemble anything of the boy our daughter has told us about all those years ago. I trust our daughter's judgment. We would like to get to know you more and we would like to meet your parents as well, but if you make our Mia happy then we are okay with it. Plus we always thought she would marry her books or that Ronald boy; we are happy to know that is not the case." Mrs. Granger chuckled.

"Anything you want to know just ask. I can set up a date with my parents as well. Now that my father is retired, they have more free time." Draco responded with a wide smile.

"There is one more thing we need to tell you." Hermione mentioned with nervousness in her voice.

"What is it Mia?" Mr. Granger asked still smiling. "Please tell me you're not pregnant?" he chuckled as he jokingly hit Draco in the arm.

Hermione stood silent with guilt written all over her face. Her parent's smiles slowly fell as they realized that that, was exactly what the news was.

X

 **Sunday, April 22** **nd** **, 2001 05:38pm**

Hermione coward slightly behind Draco as her father's face began to turn red. She thought her parents would at least take the news a little better but she was seeing now, that she was wrong.

"Mia…" her mother began softly "You're not even married yet and you both are so young…a baby is a lot of responsibility; not to mention the money it takes to raise one. How could you possibly be so careless?"

"Careless?" Hermione retorted a little upset "We didn't plan it but we are still going to love it just the same. Draco's parents are supportive of us-"

"And I am head of house now." Draco interrupted seeming to try and calm the situation. "I mean…even before my father retired I was still rather wealthy, but now I own all of the Malfoy fortune and I run a very successful corporation."

"Corporation? At twenty-one?" Mr. Granger asked mildly intrigued as his face softened slightly and began to return to its original color.

"Yes Sir, Malfoy Inc.; it is worth around…40.5 billion Galleons, if sold. At least it was the last time I checked the numbers."

"Fourty poin- what? What is that in pounds?" her father asked now fulling fascinated completely ignoring the news of a grandchild.

Hermione rolled her eyes as she sat on the arm of the couch listening to the conversation.

 _'Men.'_

"In today's time…I would say it's…" Draco paused for a moment and Hermione could practically see the cogs in his brain calculating the number. "Roughly, 202.7 billion…in pounds."

Mr. Granger's mouth dropped open, as did her mother's. They looked at Draco as if he had grown a second head right in front of them.

"Say…Say…that…again son." Her father asked with a stutter.

"Oh…Uh, it's roughly worth 202.7 billion pounds." He hesitantly answered.

"I…I think I need to sit down." Mr. Granger stated in shock.

Her mother sat on the arm of the couch with a hand to her chest and looked at her husband with wide eyes.

"Well, I think finically you are set." Her father let out a light chuckle while shaking his head, looking at the floor. "And I think emotionally, after everything you told us you have been through, plus the war Mia told us about…you are perfectly capable to handle a child. You are both smart and "

"We are going to be grandparents?" Her mother asked eagerly interrupting her husband "Like this isn't some joke or something is it? Because if this is some game I swear-"

"I see now where you get the idea of people messing with you from." Draco leaned down and whispered in Hermione's ear.

She rolled her eyes once more and stood up.

"You are both going to be grandparents…this is not a joke or game of any kind. And I know it means a lot to you mum that we be married before I got pregnant but things just…happened but we do plan to wed before the baby is born." She smiled at her parents.

"We are going to have a grandbaby!" her mother shouted with glee and rushed in to hug Hermione.

Once she pulled back she hugged Draco and began crying tears of joy.

"Oh, this is so exciting! Mia dear, come with me. We have to start looking through your old baby stuff. See what we can use….We are going to be grandparents!" She laughed as she grabbed Hermione's hand and dragged her out of the room.

Hermione looked back at Draco who had a smile on his face but turned to face her father and spoke. She didn't have a chance to hear what he was saying but she figured they were going to talk more about Malfoy Inc. and she was rather glad to be drug out of the room.

Her mother walked up stairs so she followed slowly behind. Looking at the pictures of her and her parents on the wall going up the stairwell, she paused and reminisced over them.

 _'She remembered the day clearly, when she took their memories. All the pictures of her faded from the frames and left only her happy parents…without her. It was a day she would never forget; a day that left her feeling empty…and alone.'_

"Are you okay Hermione?" her mother asked walking back down the stairs to see what she was looking at. "Ah yes, the day we took you to the carnival for your eighth birthday. I still remember when your father failed to pie a clown and instead got pied himself." She giggled "you wouldn't stop laughing and called him 'pie face man' the rest of the day."

"Mum…I am sorry for taking you and dad's memories away." Hermione stated a bit sadly.

"Honey, it is okay. We understand why you had to do it." she began, placing a soft hand on Hermione's shoulder. "It's not like you did it for fun or anything. You were protecting us and we are very appreciative for it. Really though, we should have been the ones protecting you but we know we are no match for witches and wizards."

"Still…I feel so horrible for doing it. No one should have their memories taken away." She looked up at her mother as a tear trickled down her cheek.

"Oh my dear sweet girl; come here." Her mother expressed as she pulled her into a tight hug. "There is nothing in the world that we are more grateful for, than you. You are the best daughter any mother could ask for. You are smart and brave, you care for everyone and you even gave that Draco boy a second chance. You helped him change you know? I can tell and I can tell that he is really in love with you. He wouldn't stop looking at you the whole time you explained everything. You help people no matter the cost and we…are so proud of you." she pulled back but didn't release her hands from her shoulders. "We will always love you no matter who we might believe we are. You are our daughter and you always will be." She smiled.

Hermione tightly hugged her mother once more; grateful to have her back in her life. They broke the hug and looked at each other for a few seconds before continuing up the stairs. They opened the door to the attic and slowly walked inside.

"There should be a few boxes over there." her mother pointed to the left side of the room. "I'll check over here, there maybe a few children's books that I have kept that you can have."

Hermione nodded her head and walked to towards the boxes. She opened a few and found some baby blankets and toys she used to use when she was small but what really caught her eye, was an old trunk, sitting beneath the boxes she was searching through. Removing the boxes she looked at the old black trunk with a brass lock, with curiosity.

"Hey mum? What is in this trunk?" she called out without turning away.

Her mother turned around and looked around her at the object.

"I don't know dear, that thing has been up here for ages. Never had a chance to go through it; it belonged to your father's great grandfather back in the day." She shrugged and turned back to the box she was searching through.

Hermione rested on her knees and fondled the lock in her hand; wondering where the key was. Pulling out her wand she cast an unlocking charm and the lock clicked open. She set the lock gently on the ground and opened the lid slowly.

She was stunned when she saw old fashion clothing that looked very similar to what she and Draco wore back in 1912. She picked up a suit jacket and felt the material; setting it down softly she picked up old book that looked to be a photo album. Turning around to sit and lean against the trunk, she began to open the book. A few pictures of what appeared to be her great great grandfather were scattered throughout, with a woman she assumed was her great great grandmother. She turned the page and saw a few children who looked to be laughing and playing on a very rustic looking swing.

She smiled to herself as she looking through her own history. She turned to the next page but nearly dropped the book. Her mouth gaped open as she held the book closer to get a better view of what she was seeing. There in a picture on the right page was Dimitra Black and Robert Hoarse smiling while holding a tiny infant baby. They looked happy as they held the child in between them; it made Hermione miss them even more.

 _'But why were they in her family photo book?'_

"Mum?" she asked standing up and walking over to her mother not looking away from the picture. "Who are these people in this book?"

Her mother turned around with a few books in her hand and looked down at the picture.

"Oh, let see, that is Robert…Hoarse, I believe. And that is his wife Dimitra. Robert was a young nephew to your great great grandfather. He came back from America sometime in the early 1900's to visit with his family after their first child was born but they only visited that once. He stayed in America with his wife after that. Apparently there was some scandal and her family disowned her so she was forced to leave England or something or other." Mrs. Granger explained waving a hand in the air.

"She was wiped off her family tree for marrying a muggle…mum they were on the Titanic. Draco and I met them! She was the woman we had to get one of the stones off of!" Hermione exclaimed. "We saved them from the sinking."

"Oh dear, you are certain?" she asked with a hand to her chest.

"Positive! I was good friends with Dimitra. She was a witch…like me and around my age. She was amazing mum. So was Robert; you would have loved her. I didn't even know Robert was related to me." Hermione stated but her face fell to a frown as she stared at the picture more.

"You miss them don't you?' her mother asked caringly.

Hermione nodded her head as a tear trickled down her porcelain cheek.

"Can I keep this? Please?" she asked wiping the fallen tear away.

"Of course Mia…better with you than locked away in that old trunk. In fact, why do you take the whole trunk? I am sure the memories instilled in there will help you feel closer to them."

"Thanks mum." She smiled.

Closing the book, she set it gently on top of the blankets she found earlier and placed it all in the trunk. Bringing out her wand, she shrunk the trunk and placed it in her pocket.

"I found some old children's books I used to read to you when you were a baby…I know they aren't wizarding ones, but I think you and my grandbaby will love them all the same." Her mother smiled as she handed a few books over to Hermione.

Hermione took the books and looked at the titles.

 _'Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, Peter Rabbit…all of her favorites.'_

Hermione looked up at her mother with happiness. She set the books down and hugged her.

"Oh!" her mother expelled through a breath in surprise but hugged her back with compassion.

Taking in her motherly warmth; Hermione basked in the scent she remembered so fondly. The scent she never wanted to forget.

 _'Rose and vanilla; her most favorite scent in the whole world…other than apples and cinnamon.'_

"I love you mum." She whispered as she held on to her mother with everything she had.

"I love you too sweet girl…I love you too."


	36. Chapter 36- Foolery

Chapter 36- Foolery

 **Friday, May 4** **th** **, 2001 01:22pm**

Over the past week, Draco had come up with a plan; a very clever plan actually, which took a ton of effort and a lot of details. He was happy with the surprise he created and managed to rope in every one of her friends, including his parents and hers.

Hermione's parents had grown fond of Draco over the past few days. He had done his best to visit them with and without Hermione present. He told them of his upbringing and a few details about the war that their daughter had never covered with them. They were amazed, to say the least, that he had gone through so much at such a young age. Her mother took it upon herself to treat him with as much love and respect as she could muster.

Draco was also quite fond of his future in-laws. He had learned how to fix a muggle machine called a lawn mower, after almost cutting off a few fingers, but he learnt, thanks to Mr. Granger. He also learnt to cook without the use of magic and realized just how much he loved dinners at the Granger's. Dinner there was nothing like what he was used to at his own home. It was lively and cheerful; similar to the Potter's. His parents however, still sat quietly on either end of the long dining table and barely spoke, while he sat dead center and picked at his food, wishing he was home at his own flat, instead of the miserable dinners his mother kept asking him to attend.

He had promised a change when he came back from the past but so far, he hadn't really done much to ensure a change was made. Today would be that day. Today would be the day he made his mark in the world. He was ready and now, all he had to do was let the pieces fall into place.

As he signed the document in front of him he understood that the partnership between Malfoy Inc. and Cunard Line, who merged with Whites Star Line, was one that would never had happened if he wasn't sent to the past.

The document before him entails that Malfoy Inc. secretly holds a 65% share in the company and Draco was now in charge of making sure every crew man and staff went through a rigorous training course to be certified to sail. They will be trained in a ninety day course, to make sure that no one is left behind on a sinking ship, no matter the time frame.

Realistically, he knew it was impossible to save everyone and ships now a day, are much larger and grander than the Titanic ever was but that didn't matter to Draco. He wanted to make sure that if the ship had only an hour to live then in that hour, everyone on board would be able to get to a life boat.

As for lifeboats, Draco knew that it wasn't just the amount of boats on board that were important; it was also access to them. He noticed during the sinking of Titanic, that ropes would get stuck on the davits and some were lowered too slowly. Not to mention a majority of the life boats were not even filled to capacity. He would make sure davits were charmed by the best of the best to never get stuck and that there are witches and wizards trained for such emergencies to make sure every boat was filled and lowered at a safe but quicker speed.

He wanted to charm every boat to never sink but he knew that in doing so, would change the future in some way, and not necessarily in the best way. Muggles would catch on and deem every ship unsinkable. People with no knowledge of building ships or ones who got too cocky and built their own, might end up sinking with people on board. Too much attention would be drawn to his company and Cunard Line. It would be a huge mess that he did not want to clean up; so he outvoted himself of the idea.

The last thing he made sure was fixed, was that no ship would be made of iron. He had to go to the Ministry and the Prime Minister to the Queen, to pass a law in, at least England, to ban iron from being used ever again. He unfortunately couldn't pass the law in America since he was not a citizen nor could he protect U.S ships. That was lesson he had learned too late.

He and Hermione had gone through the photobook she had found in her parents attic the other day. They did a bit of research on an ancestry site and used that gobble thing she mentioned before. Turns out on December 7th, 1941, an attack, known as the Battle of Pearl Harbor occurred, leading entry for the United States to enter World War II. The Japanese Navy had bombed the American battleships and aircrafts, trapping and killing 2,403 souls; including fifty-four year old Lieutenant Robert Hoarse of the USS Arizona.

Draco remembered how fascinated Robert was when Hermione brought up the topic of American military during the lunch he abruptly left, on the Titanic. He never thought Robert would actually join the country's Navy branch, leading him to be killed in the surprise attack. He wished he could go back to that time and help reinforce the battleships so that so many lives would not be lost but he knew he couldn't. Just like the Titanic, he couldn't change the past; but he was determined to change the future- for the better.

He set the pen down and slid the paper to the attorney who was to notarize the document. He backed his chair away from the large oval table and stood up while straightening the lapel of his black suit jacket.

"Gentlemen," Draco nodded his head at the men around the table. "It has been a pleasure doing business with you. I will be in touch."

With that, he backed away from the table and exited the room but not before shaking hands with many of the heads of the company, both muggle and magical alike. Once outside the Cunard Line Headquarters, he walked quickly down the block until he found a suitable alleyway to disapparate from.

He landed at his flat but quickly realized how empty is sounded. Hermione had moved in with him a few days ago after he had to convince Harry that his nightmares were not as bad anymore and could be monitored with a spell from a great distance. She normally would be reading one of the muggle books her mother gave her on the couch or was entertaining their circle of friends; but this time it was too quite.

Draco searched around the large flat, checking every room including the bathroom, for Hermione. He called out her name but heard nothing in return. Figuring she was out, he took off his jacket and sat down on the couch. He moved to lie down and take a small nap but something hard poked him in the shoulder; pushing whatever it was further into the cushions. He sat back up but saw nothing there. Placing his hand between the cushion and the back of the couch, he felt the object that poked him. He pulled it out and realized it was Hermione's wand.

 _'What is her wand doing in the couch? And why didn't she have it on her? That is not like her. Maybe she just misplaced it? But that wasn't like her either.'_

He grew concerned but before he could think any more on it, his fireplace roared to life and a much shaken looking Harry stepped out.

"Potter? What are you doing here? Hermione isn't here right now but if you would like to wait until she re-"

"Hermione is not with you?" Harry cut him off quickly.

"No…I just got home a few minutes ago from a meeting. She wasn't here when I arrived. Why?" he asked skeptical.

Harry's eyes grew wide.

"Fuck! That means she really is missing!" Harry expressed as he began pacing back and forth in front of the coffee table.

"What?" Draco stood up from the couch still holding Hermione's wand in his hand and looked at the boy who lived with seriousness. "What do you mean she is missing?"

"She was supposed to meet Ginny for lunch at 12:30 and never showed. It's not like Hermione to miss an outing with her and it's not like her to not let us know if she is going to be late or needs to cancel. The memories of your time travel are also missing from my office. They were there two days ago and have since disappeared."

"Her…wand was shoved into the couch…She never goes anywhere without it." Draco added with worry on his tone.

"Give it here." Harry held out a hand "We need to see the last spell she cast."

Draco reluctantly handed over the wand and Harry instantly pulled out his own.

"Priori Incantatem….she last used…Stupefy." Harry looked up in concern.

"Why would she use that spell? And why isn't there any sign that she used it? Nothing is broken; the place looks spotless like normal."

Harry looked around for a second before his eyes landed on the fireplace. He crouched down and looked at large, dark black, spot on the side of the bricks to the left, which Draco knew, was not there before. Harry touched the mark gently before standing back up with worry on his face.

"Whoever she was trying to stun moved out of the way. The spell hit the side of the fireplace…Who has access to your flat, Malfoy?"

"I…There is an anti-apparition charm over the whole place. I couldn't have people popping in unannounced and there is limited access from the floo network. You, Ginny, Ron, Blaise, Theo, Longbottom, Lovegood…um Finnegan, that other guy, Dean I think, my parents and…oh fuck!" Draco expressed, sliding his fingers through his hair.

"What? Who else, Malfoy?" Harry asked now in a panic.

"I forgot to remove Pansy! Pansy still has access to my floo!" Draco yelled out as he turned on his heels and held and a hand to his forehead in frustration. "Fucking Pansy was here!"

"But that doesn't make any sense. Why would Hermione hide her wand in the couch? She wouldn't just let her step out of the fireplace as we can see…except if…"

"Except if…what?" Draco asked impatiently

"Except if Pansy didn't look like Pansy." Harry finished.

"What are you trying to say Potter? That Pansy used Polyjuice Potion to trick Hermione? Who could she possibly get close enough to, to use a strand of hair from?" Draco questioned with his arms crossed, not wanting to believe what was being said.

"Who else Malfoy?...You!"

"Have you lost your mind? I haven't been near that bitch in over a month!"

"A month is exactly how long it takes to brew that potion Malfoy! She was all over you at the Ball, who is to say a strand of your hair didn't fall on her. She was angry and embarrassed after what happened that night; that ploy she used with the press was just a distraction to throw us off of her real plan! I guarantee it! We all thought she was done and had nothing else to pull for revenge but we were wrong. She used the press to get all eyes off her and now she has Hermione!"

"Fuck! What the hell do we do? Can we track her or something?" Draco asked completely terrified for Hermione and his unborn baby.

 _'Why the hell didn't he remove Pansy's access? Why the hell didn't he see that Pansy's plan with the press seemed a little weak? Now she has his fiancé and Salazar knows what her next move is!'_

Draco abruptly turned and swung his hand at a vase on the coffee table. The vase flew through the air and smashed against the wall. The pieces shattered into a thousand as they scattered on to the floor.

"Malfoy I need you to calm down, okay? We will figure this out. Right now the last thing we need is for you to kill us both before we get a chance to save Hermione." Harry begged.

Draco took in a deep breath and held it for ten seconds, then let it out very slowly.

"Now," Harry continued "Where do you think Pansy would take her?"

He tried to think of multiple different places Hermione could have been taken too but nothing concrete came to his mind.

"I don't know! She could be anywhere! We are going to have to split up."

"Okay, I'll call the Calvary. In the meantime, I want you to relax and think of all the possible places significant to Pansy, oh and temporarily remove the apparition ward; a lot of people are going to show up very shortly. I will be right back." Harry turned, grabbed a handful of floo powder and entered the fireplace. "Try not to blow anything up while I am gone, okay?"

"No promises." Draco replied sitting down in a huff.

Once Harry was gone, he lowered the wards and thought of all the possible places important to Pansy.

 _'Where the hell would she take her? What the fuck is wrong with Pansy? Stupid bitch!...Okay, okay, Draco think…Hogwarts was definitely one, but he couldn't see her sneaking in with a kidnapped victim during school hours…The castle could be a spot; she WAS embarrassed and practically dumped there…Maybe the Manor? His parents were away for the weekend but he couldn't see why she would bring her there…Diagon Alley? No, too crowded…Her house?...No that is too obvious…Where the fuck would she go…'_

All of a sudden pops could be heard throughout his flat. Draco stood up and looked at all of his friends; they too looked worried, along with a few Aurors he didn't recognize. The whole Weasley family had also shown up. He was a bit weary having all of The Order in his home but the more people, he figured, the better.

"Oh my dear boy!" Mrs. Weasley called out as she came up to him and began hugging him. "How are you holding up? This must be so dreadful for you. Are you okay?"

Draco was momentarily confused. He had not spoken to the women yet nor had he apologized to her or her husband. Her sudden kindness and motherly concern had him flabbergasted.

 _'Maybe her seeing the memories, changed her view on him? He was sure the three Weasley's he had spoken to, must have convinced her as well that he had changed but right now was not the time to think about it. Now, was the time to try and find Hermione.'_

"I could be better Mrs. Weasley. And I will be, once we find Hermione." He replied hugging the woman back.

"Of course, of course. And we will find her, mind you. That Pansy girl has another thing coming to her, messing with our family; she should be right punished!" she claimed pulling back to look him over. "If she was my child; Ooh, she wouldn't see the light of day for at least month."

"Mum, we should start figuring out where to look." Ginny interrupted, pulling her mother away from him before looking back to him. "Draco, Harry said you might know of some spots Pansy might have taken her?"

"I, uh, well there are a few but none of them make sense for her to go."

"Okay well start with the places you first thought of and we will sort it out from there." George chimed in.

Draco took in a deep breath and began listing off the various places.

 **Friday, May 4** **th** **, 2001 12:13pm**

Hermione walked around the living room of Draco's flat, making sure she didn't forget anything before meeting up with Ginny for lunch. They had an appointment afterwards for her first dress fitting and she didn't want to forget anything essential. But to Hermione's surprise, the fireplace roared to life and Draco stepped out.

 _'Since when did Draco use the floo to get into his own place? He normally apparated or used the front door on rare assurances. The floo, as he put it, was for guests and he hated that is always left ash on his white shirts.'_

"Draco? What are you using the floo for?" Hermione asked skeptically.

"What?" He asked looking up at her in anger "Oh, it was quicker this way."

 _'Quicker?'_

"Okay, how was the meeting? Did it go well?" she stepped behind the coffee table took a seat on the couch but never took her eyes off him.

"It, uh…went well. Everything is in order." He replied looking a little confused.

 _'Something is not right.'_

"So…What did they say?" She asked baiting him.

His head snapped up but he quickly put on a frown and crossed his arms.

"Let's not talk about it right now Granger. I am tired. Why don't you come here and let me hold you for a minute…it will really help me calm down."

 _'Granger? This was not a scenario that he would ever call her by her last name. He only ever used her last name when he was serious about something; that or little one. Something is definitely not right.'_

"Why don't you come over here and we can cuddle on the couch and talk about our day like we used to do on the ship." She lied.

"On the ship?...Right, just like old times….well you see I have to leave soon; meeting Potter for lunch in hogs-"

Hermione stood up quickly, pulled out her wand and trained it on Draco.

"What the bloody hell are you doing?" he asked holding his hands up.

"Who are you? What are you doing here?" Hermione demanded.

"Are you mad woman? What has gotten into you?"

"Harry doesn't have lunch plans with you because he's at the office having lunch with Blaise, Theo, and Ron. Also we never cuddled on the ship and talked about our day; so I will ask you again…Who are you?"

"So I had a minor lasp in my memory! It has been a long day Granger, I have a right to forget things here and there! It's human nature! Put your wand down."

"Okay, if you think that, then what did I tell you the night of our first date after you called me a mudblood?"

He took a minute to think about it. He seemed to be thinking hard while looking up at the ceiling.

"That you don't hate me just what I have done." He finally replied lowering his head to look at her.

Hermione began lowering her wand but the thought of Harry telling her the memories were missing two days ago popped into her mind.

 _'They could have stolen the memories! She needed to think of something that only the real Draco would know; something that wasn't in the memories…The day after the party in Steerage!'_

Raising her wand back up, she focused on the imposter before her.

"What potion did you try to give me, the day after the party in Third Class?" she asked knowing it wasn't potion he tried to give her.

"Why are you still questioning me Granger? I answered your first question to prove who I am already."

"Answer the damn question Malfoy!"

"Fine! A hangover drought."

"Wrong! You never gave me a potion; you handed me allergy pills by mistake!"

"What the hell is an al-"

"STUPIFY!" Hermione shouted.

Draco moved out of the way as the spell hit the fireplace and pulled out his own wand; a wand that looked nothing like Draco's.

"Expelliarmus!" he shouted back.

Her wand flew out of her hand and landed on the couch.

"Imperio!"

Hermione was suddenly pulled into a trance. She tried breaking free from it like Harry had taught her but she was rusty and couldn't bring herself to concentrate. Draco's voice echoed in her head as he told her to walk to the fireplace. Unwillingly, she complied and stepped around the table and into the floo. Draco placed a blindfold on her eyes before she heard him grab a handful of powder off the mantel.

Hermione didn't hear the location he spoke; she was too busy trying to break free of the curse placed on her and she didn't realize the place she was being transported to, was somewhere she knew, all too well.

She lost her balance when they landed and fell to her knees. Draco's voice echoed in her head again; yelling at her to stand back up, so she did. But as soon as she stood back up she felt him pull her hands in front of her and tie them.

Suddenly, the curse placed on her lifted and she felt instant relief. Draco however, gripped up her upper arm tightly and led her through a room she couldn't see.

After ten long minutes, she was thrown to the ground. She tried reaching out to soften the impact but with her hands tied, she couldn't break the fall. Her wrists hurt and so did her knees as they hit hard tile below her.

 _'She at least knew she was in a large building or house of some sort. But where was she? And who was trying to impersonate Draco?'_

"So, the filthy little mudblood is finally on the ground where she belongs!" Draco's voice spat coldly.

"What do you want?" Hermione pleaded as she tried to sit up.

"What do I want? Hmm, let's see. I want you dead for starters but killing you, would be all too easy; I have instead come up with the idea of erasing your memory. I will make you forget you ever loved Draco and I will make sure when he comes to save his damsel in distress, that I see the pain on his face as you forget him! I want to see the hurt as you begin to hate him again. I want to see the fear in his eyes as he is erased from your mind! After that, I will alter his memories to include me on that bloody ship instead of you!"

The realization of who was impersonating Hermione's fiancé smacked her right in the face like a pile of books.

 _'No one, in their right mind, was that desperate to be with Draco…no one, except Pansy.'_

"Pansy?" Hermione questioned, lifting her head to try and see under the blindfold.

"Oh for the love of-"

Pansy ripped the blindfold off Hermione's face with such force, it pulled her forward and she had to reach out her tied hands again to hold herself up. Her wrists were now killing her and all she wanted to do was cry. Instead, Hermione blinked a few times to adjust to the light of the room and looked around.

She instantly recognized the room and began to panic when she noticed the spot she was sitting in. Her breath caught in her throat as tears began to trickle down her cheeks.

"Why? Why…would…you…bring me…here?" Hermione stuttered through her heavy breathing.

"Isn't it obvious you pathetic mudblood? This is the room you should have died in but that worthless Death Eater, Bellatrix, never finished the job; all because she was too busy interrogating that fucking goblin!...I am going to carve you up just like she did and this time, I will make sure you learnt your place in this world! You are nothing mudblood! Do you hear me? NOTHING!"

"Pansy, you don't…have…to do…this! Please…stop." Hermione begged while she tried to get her breathing under control.

"No! I am done with others ordering me around! You are beneath me and you do not deserve to marry Draco! If anyone deserves his love, it is me!"

Pansy's voice began to change back to her feminine one as the Polyjuice potion faded away. Her face contorted as it changed from Draco's pale skin to light tan. Her cheeks rounded out and her long black hair replaced the short blonde on top of her head.

"You…are…fucking crazy!" Hermione spat.

"Crazy huh? I'll show you crazy!...Crucio!"

She was thrown to her back and the pain Hermione felt, was unbearable. Letting out a scream, tears began streaming down her face as her body flailed around the floor. She couldn't talk, couldn't breathe, she couldn't even think, at least not about anything other than the agonizing torture engulfed her whole body. Everything hurt; it felt like every bone was breaking at the same time. She wanted to pass out but the curse prevented it's victims from doing so.

And the pain wouldn't cease. It was ongoing and never-ending. All Hermione wanted to do was let go and die but something wouldn't let her. She feared for her child as the curse radiated every limb; and for some reason, she didn't feel pain in her stomach area.

Pansy let go of the curse and began laughing as Hermione cried on the floor and held onto her stomach.

"You really are a worthless, pathetic, whore! You think just because you were thrown into the past with MY future husband, that you can just parade yourself around thinking you are so high and mighty? That's right! I used Polyjuice to look like Blaise, who has wormed his way into your little group and I stole the memories Potter so carelessly hid in the top drawer of his desk! I watched as you tried to charm Draco into loving you! But that fantasy is about to end! This is where you belong, mudblood! At my feet, crying and begging for me to stop! You are a waste of a soul if you ask me; Dementors wouldn't even want to kiss you, you're so disgusting!"

Hermione couldn't respond. Nothing she could say or do would make Pansy stop the torment she was inflicting upon her, so she quietly whimpered in pain while she stayed curled into a ball. But Pansy wasn't having it. She jumped on top of her and rolled her onto her back. She pinned her left arm under a knee and stretched out her right arm.

"Seeing as you already have mudblood on that arm I might as well engrave my reminder on this one!" Pansy laughed again as she brought out her wand and held it like a pen.

Hermione began to tremble and then let out another scream as Pansy began carving the word 'WHORE' into her right arm. The pain was just as bad as the last time she was marked but this time, it felt oddly different; like Pansy didn't know exactly what she was doing.

She let out another scream while she tried to free her left arm but it was pointless. Pansy's weight held it firmly to the ground and Hermione could do nothing. Nothing, but think about how she wanted to just die.

But Pansy's weight suddenly lifted off of her and Hermione could breathe again. She sucked in a huge breath and pulled her arm into her chest while she cried in pain. She rolled over to her right and hugged her forearm as she looked down at the very angry Slytherin standing back up and pointing her wand at whoever entered the room.

"How dare you!" Pansy spat through gritted teeth. "REDUCTO!"

A piece of wall collapsed behind Hermione as the spell hit it. She instantly looked up to see who she attacked but the debris and rubble blocked her view. She looked back down at Pansy who was now looking directly at her. Pansy raised her wand and Hermione heard someone call out 'NO'; but it was too late.

"Obliviate!" Pansy shouted.

Her wand glowed bright and all Hermione could think about, was how pretty the light looked, before her face went blank and her mind cleared. Erasing all the memories she held, of her and Draco.


	37. Chapter 37- Memories

Chapter 37- Memories

 **Friday, May 4** **th** **, 2001 01:43pm**

Draco stood before The Order as he listed off various places Pansy might be holding Hermione. Each one he mentioned, four or five people in the room headed out to check. He had listed off four different areas already and was only left with one possible location remaining; The Manor.

Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, along with Blaise, Theo, and Harry remained and he looked at them with dread. If Hermione was in the Manor then there was only one room he could think that Pansy would possibly take her.

The group paired off into groups of three as they prepared to apparate to the outer gate of his family home. Once they arrived, they began running down the long path to the front door. Draco lifted a hand and unlocked the large entry way before slowly easing it open. The group stepped into the foyer and looked around the unlit room.

"Where should we start?" Harry asked looking eager to begin searching.

Draco however, never got a chance to respond. A loud scream echoed through the halls and everyone's faces suddenly fell in terror. No one uttered a word as they collectively began running down the corridors towards the noise; pulling out their wands as they went. Another scream was heard and Draco began to run faster in the direction it came from. He knew exactly what room Pansy was in; the Drawing Room. The one room he knew Hermione was still not over.

He abruptly stopped running when he reached the dreaded door. He was panting from the exertion and was panic as he heard Hermione crying behind the door. He didn't hesitate as he flung the door open and saw Pansy sitting on top of his fiancée. Her knee held down one of her arms as she carved into the other one.

He quickly raised his wand and cast Flipendo; the knockback jinx. Pansy flew off Hermione and crashed into the wall behind her. The rest of his group rushed into the room and pulled out their wands but before Draco could take a step towards his love, who was now curled into a ball, Pansy stood up and trained her wand just above his head.

"How dare you!" She spat through gritted teeth. "REDUCTO!"

The ceiling above him blasted apart and began falling on to the ground. They all moved out of the way in time before a large piece of debris crashed to the floor, almost crushing them. He regained his footing and stood up while looking at the girl who was obsessed with him; holding out his wand in defense.

Pansy gave off a smirk that could kill before she looked at Hermione and pointed her wand at her. Draco feared the worse and expected Pansy to Avada her.

"NO!" he yelled out, trying to reach Hermione in time, but he was too late.

"Obliviate!" she shouted as she slowly turned her wrist and pulled memories from the love of his life.

Draco reached out in despair as he watched Hermione's face go blank. It took a few seconds before she shook her head and looked around the room. The Weasley's, Theo, and Blaise rushed Pansy who was now laughing hysterically; like a mental patient who had lost her mind. But she quickly lifted her wand and pointed it at the group; halting their movements with a fast binding curse.

"What am I doing here?" Hermione asked confused and shaken. "What… Harry? What are you doing here and why are you with Malfoy?" her face was now one of disgust.

Harry, who was the only one not bind to the floor, slowly stepped forward; however his eyes never left Draco.

"Mione? Are you okay?" he asked only looking at her momentarily before looking back at Draco who was now looking desperate.

"My body is sore and my arm hurts-" she looked down at her arm that had the letters W and H carved in to her skin and she began to panic. "Harry? What happened? What is this?" she began to breathe heavily and her tears started staining her soft face.

"Mione, I need you to breathe, okay? Remember what we talked about; about not panicking?"

She nodded her head as she took in deep breaths to calm herself. Harry took another step forward but Pansy instantly trained her wand on him stopping him before he could get any closer.

"It's going to be okay, Mione. Now, can you tell me what you remember?" he asked holding his hands up so Pansy didn't curse him as well.

"I…I remember getting ready for the Ball but that is about it. How did I get here?" she looked around and her eyes landed on Pansy. "Pansy? What are you doing? What the hell happened?" she demanded as she looked back to Harry.

"Mione…love…do you remember Malfoy?" he hesitantly asked.

"Malfoy? How on earth could I forget him? Why are you asking me about him?"

Draco's mind raced with joy as she said those words but it didn't last for long. Hermione turned the upper half of her body from the ground and looked him dead in the eye.

"What are you looking at ferret? Let me guess; we caught you and Pansy shacking up and now you're pissed your little shag time was interrupted?" she stated coldly.

His heart fell as sadness over took his body and he, could no longer control his emotions.

"What; cat got your tongue? You're not even going to call me a mudblood?" She huffed as she turned back to Harry.

Harry however, never took his sadden eyes off him. They both knew what was about to happen and they both knew it wasn't going to end well.

"Malfoy…Draco…breathe mate." Harry tried to calm him.

"Mate? What the hell Harry? Since when are you all buddy buddy with Malfoy?" Hermione asked confused as she tried to stand up. "Pansy, you can let everyone go now. We get it; you want your alone time. Not that I really care anyway. Also why do you even have Nott and Zabini frozen; aren't they your friends?" she turned back to Harry with a shrug when Pansy didn't answer. "Where is Ron? I thought we were going to the Ball together and I am not even dressed yet. Oh crap! We have to hurry; Ginny is going to kill me if I am late."

She began rushing towards Harry but stopped when Pansy let out a slightly evil laugh.

"Ha! It worked!" Pansy called out, raising her arms in triumph. "How does it feel Draco? To have the girl you apparently love, forget you! This is how you made me feel the night of the ball! This is what you did to me!" she yelled out in anger.

"But she and Ron broke up a year ago? What the hell did you do to her memory Parkinson?" Harry questioned with furry in his voice.

"I might have altered her to be in love with Weasley. Couldn't very well have her falling back in love with Draco now could I?"

"YOU BITCH!" Harry screamed.

"Harry? What the hell is going on? What is she talking about? I could never love Malfoy, he's vile…" She looked back at Draco "No offense, but ferrets aren't my type." Hermione stated but now looked fully confused.

At those words Draco's heart shattered into a million pieces. A single tear trickled out of his grey eye as he looked at his fiancée with a quivering lip.

"Doesn't feel good, does it Draco?" Pansy spat "Now I just need to alter your memory to fall in love with me and everything will be right in the world!" she moved her wand off of Harry and pointed it at Draco.

Draco though, never uttered a word and he never moved from his spot. His eyes never left Hermione's cold ones as she crossed her arms and looked at him. His only thoughts were about lying in the cold, icy, frozen, water; the water he now wished he died in, for that, was less painful than the heartbreak he was experiencing now.

His heart stopped as the single tear glided effortlessly down his cheek but he never looked away from her caramel eyes. The eyes, he wanted to drown in every day; the eyes, which no longer viewed him something worth living for. Anything Pansy did to his memory would be relief. Nothing as dreadful as the words Hermione said to him, could hurt him any worse.

 _'She doesn't know the real him anymore…she doesn't remember the love she had for him or the love he has given her…she…she forgot him.'_

The fallen tear hovered on his chin; begging to drop to the ground. The tear got its wish though. Draco's breath staggered as he tried to not break down. But it was hopeless; he felt hopeless. The tear released its hold on him and fell to cold, hard, tiled floor below.

The impact however, was one no one expected.

As the teardrop hit the floor, a sudden wave of energy coursed through the room with such power that it knocked everyone off balance. Draco fell to his knees while his heart ripped apart and his eyes began to rain with sadness.

"Shit!" Harry expressed as he tried to stand back up. But the impact of Draco falling to the ground sent another wave through the room.

The clouds outside suddenly grew dark and wind started picking up, inside the room. Everyone but Harry looked around in disbelief. A crack of lightning outside lit up the room as a roar of thunder echoed through the halls. The spell holding the Weasley's, Theo, and Blaise released and they fell to the ground but surprise stayed planted on their features.

Pansy backed up against the wall and looked around the room in fear as she held her wand in the air, trying to figure out what was happening.

Harry quickly rushed to Draco but they both knew nothing he said would be able calm him. The only person, who could do that, was Hermione; but she doesn't remember him. At least not the way she was supposed to.

The wind speed picked up faster than it did in the hospital. Chairs were now being thrown across the room as anything not held down, shattered against the walls. The remaining people from The Order, along with the Aurors Harry called in earlier, entered the room but Draco refused to look away from a now very scared looking Hermione.

"Holy shit!" George called out as he dodged a vase that flew by his head. "What is happening?" He shouted over the wind.

The group rushed into the room and trained their wands on Pansy who was now crying in fear while she looked around the room in a panic. Draco's face reddened as he tried to calm himself down but the words Hermione said, kept hitting repeat in his head.

 _'I could never love Malfoy… I could never love Malfoy…She, could never love him.'_

The room began to shake as if an earthquake took over the earth. Pictures that hung firmly on the walls began to fall as the vibrations became too strong and the wind too powerful. The ceiling began to crack and the windows began to shatter. Everyone covered their faces so they would not be hit with flying glass but Draco only lowered his head in defeat as sorrow overtook his pneuma.

He gave up trying to control anything anymore. He was done; he just wanted to die. Without Hermione, he was nothing anymore. He couldn't live without her.

But a single voice pulled him from his trance. One voice that now caused anger to sear his very core with hate.

"WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON?" Pansy screamed.

Draco's head snapped up and anger mixed with his despair; a deadly combination. He hated Pansy. He hated her so much for doing this to him; he wanted to kill her. And kill her he would. He stood up from where he was kneeling and stared Pansy down with as much hate as his soul could contain. He wanted her dead for ruining his life. He wanted her to pay for taking Hermione away from him.

The wind whipped harder around him as he took steps closer to his ex-friend. The thunder raged on as he got closer to the girl who had become his enemy. The girl he now absolutely loathed.

Draco saw Harry pull Hermione aside from the corner of his eye as the wind whipped his hair into his face. Another crack of lightening lit up the chamber as rain began to pour inside but a sudden cry of agony drew his attention towards Hermione, who was now on the ground with Harry beside her. But he couldn't focus on her anymore. As much as he wanted to run to her, he knew she no longer loved him. And that thought, was enough for him to be fine with being sent to Azkaban for murder.

X

 **Friday, May 4** **th** **, 2001 02:26pm**

Hermione gripped onto Harry's arm as she stood looking around the room, that was being destroyed in front of her, in fear.

"HERMIONE! LOOK AT ME!" Harry shouted above the thunder that blasted throughout the Drawing Room. "HERMIONE, YOU ARE THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN CALM MALFOY DOWN! I NEED YOU TO LISTEN TO ME, YOU DON'T LOVE RON!"

"ARE YOU INSANE HARRY? OF COURSE I DO!" she shouted back.

Harry pulled her down slightly as he ducked to prevent them from getting hit by a painting that soared across the room and impaled into the wall.

"NO YOU DON'T! YOU LOVE MALFOY!" Ron interjected rushing over to them.

"OKAY, HAVE YOU BOTH COMPLETELY LOST IT?" she yelled out looking back and forth between her two best friends.

Harry threw his head back in frustration and his face became one of full seriousness.

"THINK ABOUT IT MIONE! REALLY THINK ABOUT IT! THE BALL WAS OVER A MONTH AGO AND RON NEVER WENT! YOU ARE ENGANGED TO MALFOY!" He shouted above the noise. "LOOK AT RON! TELL ME WHAT YOU FEEL FOR HIM!"

She looked passed Harry, at Ron, and tried to think of all the reasons she loved him. She honestly fully expected to fall head over heels and look at Ron with love but she didn't. All she could think about was how she loved him as a best friend; like a brother. There was no romantic feeling towards him; there was nothing that made her want to jump into his arms and kiss him with lust or infatuation But she felt like she was supposed to love him.

She looked back to Harry as her face fell to confusion and sadness.

"YOUR LOVE FOR HIM ISN'T REAL! PANSY ALTERED YOUR MEMORY!"

"YOU ARE CRAZY! I LOVE RON!"

'SHE WON'T LISTEN, HARRY!" Ron shouted in Harry's ear.

Harry looked at his friend in worry but quickly looked back to Hermione softened his face.

"LOOK AT MALFOY AND TELL ME YOU DON'T FEEL SOMETHING FOR HIM! LOOK AT HIM AND TELL ME YOU DON'T LOVE HIM!"

Hermione raised a brow but turned her head cautiously. Her eyes slowly left Harry's and looked at Draco, who now, looked ready to kill Pansy.

 _'He was handsome but he looked so mad right now. And for some reason, something inside her just wanted to go and comfort him. But she was scared of him right now. She couldn't recall the last time she had ever seen the Slytherin Prince so furious before; he was always spiteful and prejudice but he was never this hateful looking. In fact, now that she thought about it she had never seen him this angry, not since…wait.'_

A scene flashed in her mind of Draco shaking a gate in anger as he yelled at a few men on the other side. She couldn't figure out why the image popped in her head but it seemed so, real, like it was a memory she experienced once upon a time. Another flash played before her; Draco was throwing her over his shoulder and placing her in a small boat as people ran and screamed behind him.

She held a hand to her forehead as another memory filled her mind. Draco smiled up at her while she danced on top of a table, _Flash_ Draco caressed her cheek as he planted a gentle kiss on her forehead, _Flash_ Draco telling her he loved her, _Flash_ Draco washing her in a shower, _Flash_ Draco holding on to her as she waved to a large crowd, _Flash_ Draco looking in wonder, with her, as she looked at a giant ship and the name, Titanic, burned in her brain.

She was remembering him but as she moved to look up at the blonde, more memories filled her head; ones that seemed to last longer and feel even more real.

 _Flash_ Draco was ripped from her grasp as he was swept away by a large wave of water, _Flash_ Draco laid on a bench on a small boat. It was freezing cold and he looked, dead.

That last memory was all it took for her to feel love she used to have for him. Grief overtook her body as she watched him almost die in front of her, again. Letting out a loud whimper, she fell to her knees and began to cry.

 _Flash_ Draco was making love to her, _Flash_ Draco was announcing he wasn't marrying Astoria, _Flash_ Draco was proposing to her, _Flash_ Draco was standing near her as she was being told she was pregnant, _Flash_ Draco holding her in the hospital bed, _Flash_ Pansy torturing her, _Flash_ Pansy uttering 'Obliviate'.

She remembered him; all of him. Everything came back to her so fast it made her mind spin and her head hurt but she couldn't think about any of that right now. Her head whipped up and she got up so fast she felt dizzy and almost fell over again. Harry held out his hands to support her but she shoved them off of her.

She rushed to Draco who was now holding Pansy in the air by her throat. Except, his hands weren't touching her. They were down at his side, balled up into fists. She stepped in front of him wearily and slowly touched his chest with both hands.

His heart beat was rapid and and the anger on his face was filled with extreme hatred.

His gaze momentarily left the panicked girl, who was clawing at her throat in terror about twenty feet off the ground.

"Piss off Granger!" He stated through gritted teeth.

He slapped her hands off his chest, pushed her out of the way, took a step forward, and brought his focus back to a screaming choking Pansy. Hermione stared in shock for a moment that he pushed her away but she suddenly realized that Draco still thought she forgot him; that she no longer loved him.

"DRACO!" She called out as she tried to remove her flying wet hair from her face. "DRACO STOP!"

"GO AWAY GRANGER! THIS IS NO LONGER YOUR CONCERN!"

Hermione ran back to stand in front of him.

"DRACO STOP! LISTEN TO ME!"

He refused to look at her so she did the only thing she could think of to get him to listen. She pushed him and she pushed him hard. Both of her hands collided into his chest with enough force that he stumbled backwards, breaking his hold on Pansy.

A sickening crunch could be heard over the storm, which brewed in chaos though the room, before Pansy fell to the ground with a hard thud. But Hermione's attention was not on the raven haired girl that lay motionless on the ground as her friends began to surround her. Her attention instead, was on the blonde Slytherin who looked like he was ready to murder her in Pansy's place.

"WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU!" He screamed in anger.

"I LOVE YOU!" was all she could think to say to try and calm him down.

She had not witnessed his emotional magic when she was in the hospital but she remembered Harry telling her about it and from what he said, she knew he had enough power to take down the whole Manor. Another quake shook the room as his anger boiled over and she wobbled back and forth trying to keep her balance.

"DON'T LIE TO ME! I KNOW THAT IS WHAT POTTER TOLD YOU TO TELL ME! I SAW YOU TWO TALKING! I AM NOT STUPID SO DON'T PLAY COY WITH ME!"

Tears ran down his face again and all she wanted to do was hold him in her arms and tell him that everything would be okay.

She took a step closer to him once the vibrations subsided but he took a step back as he looked at her with sorrow in his now almost black eyes.

"I AM NOT MESSING WITH YOU DRACO!" she held up a hand to shield her face from the piercing wind that picked up more. "I REMEMBER EVERYTHING!"

"YOU ARE LYING! YOU SAID IT YOURSELF YOU NEEDED SEVENTEEN POWERFUL AURORS TO REVERSE THE MEMORY CHARM YOU PLACED ON YOUR PARENTS! HOW THE FUCK, DO YOU EXPECT ME TO BELIEVE YOU BROKE THE SPELL IN A MATTER OF MINUTES, BY YOURSELF!"

"I DON'T KNOW, BUT I DID; DRACO I LOVE YOU…PLEASE BELIEVE ME." She begged as she too began to cry.

The ceiling that was cracked before began crumbling as another wave shook the Manor. Pieces of stone fell to the ground around her but she ignored the rubble and never took her eyes off of his. He looked, like he wanted to believe her but something was holding him back.

 _'Trust.'_

She couldn't think of anything else to say to him to make him believe her in such a short amount of time. She had mere minutes, if that, before the ceiling collapsed on top of them. So, she did the only thing she knew might work.

Quickly closing the gap between them; he tried to step away but she was too fast. She grabbed his face in her hands and kissed him. She kissed him with as much passion and love as she could muster. She kissed him like it was the last kiss she would ever give him.

He was reluctant at first as he looked at her with wide shocked eyes, but like she expected, he began kissing her back. He reached a hand around the back of her head and pulled her closer to him. She parted her lips to give him entry when his tongue asked for permission and she began to melt into him.

Their tears mended together as the kiss deepened and the familiar taste flutter through her mouth. The wind began to die as quickly as is started and the rain slowed to a trickle. The sun started to beam through the clouds outside as she jumped onto him and wrapped her legs around his waist. She pulled back slightly after a few seconds of relishing in his warmth and looked into his now hopeful, light grey eyes.

She gently brushed his wet hair out of his face with her fingers.

"Nothing in this world will ever make me forget you. You…are…my…soulmate." She whispered with a small smile.

His lips widened as a smile grew on his face.

"I thought I lost you!" he expelled through a breath. "Oh Merlin Hermione, I thought I lost you for good." he continued, caressing a thumb across her cheek as he finally realized she was telling the truth.

"You will never lose me…I love you Draco. I will always love you."

He let off another smile.

"I love you more little one." He whispered before he pulled her head back down and kissed her again.

Hermione, for the life of her, couldn't figure out herself, how she broke the memory charm but at this moment she didn't care. At this moment all she cared about was being in Draco's arms, knowing he was her other half; her lifeline and she was his.

"Hey guys!" Blaise called out. "I hate to break up this wonderful reunion and all but uh…we have a problem."

Draco lowered Hermione to the ground but he refused to let go of her hand as she turned around to face the large group that was surrounding an unconscious Pansy. Hermione took a few steps forward; her smile slowly changed to a frown as she suddenly understood, just what the problem was.

Pansy wasn't breathing and the more Hermione looked at the girl, the more she saw just how bad the situation was.

A large red handprint was forming around her neck but everyone in the room saw that no one had actually touched her. But that was not the worst of it. Pansy's neck was contorted at an odd angle and Hermione instantly knew that her neck was broken.

She was dead. Pansy Parkinson was dead.

Hermione clasped a hand to her mouth as the realization dawned on her.

 _'The sickening crunch she heard earlier, happened when she pushed Draco to get him to stop, but the jerking motion must have caused his focus to falter just enough, to snap Pansy's neck before she fell to the ground.'_

"Oh God, what did I do?" she expressed has her hand fell to her chest.

Harry quickly stood up and made his way over to her. He grabbed her shoulders and looked her dead in the eye.

"This is not your fault Hermione; neither of you." He looked at Draco "This was self-defense do you hear me? She kidnapped you and erased your memory. She then went to do the same thing to you Malfoy and you defended yourself. Do you understand? This was self-defense and you have plenty of witnesses that will vouch for you."

Draco nodded his head but worry still overtook his features. Hermione on the other hand, couldn't look away from the body that lay lifeless in a pool of water. She couldn't bring herself to turn away from the girl she had known since first year.

 _'Granite they were never friends but Pansy didn't deserve to die. Especially not like this. She was deranged and obsessive over Draco and no one helped her. No one talked to her about it. No one tried to figure out the root of the obsessiveness…No one offered to get Pansy help…Including herself. She just ignored the girls cry for help. She didn't listen.'_

"Hermione!" Harry interrupted her thoughts and her eyes snapped to him. "Do you understand? You talk to no one except for me; not even Kingsley. Got it?"

Hermione slowly looked back to Pansy's motionless body, almost ignoring Harry's plea, but nodded her head slowly in confirmation.

 _'She was dead and she was the reason she was gone. If she was quicker with her stunning spell at Draco's flat, then none of this would have happened. Draco would not have broken down like he did and Pansy would still be alive…this was all her fault. Why wasn't she quick enough?'_

"Come on Hermione." Mrs. Weasley stepped forward and calmly placed a hand on her shoulder. "Let's get you to the hospital to be looked over. You went through a lot today. Let's just make sure you and your baby are alright." She smiled her famous motherly smile but even Hermione knew it was forced.

The thought of her baby's health terrified Hermione as she instinctively held a hand to her stomach. But she nodded her head and looked away from the dead girl on the floor of the room she had now twice been tortured in.

Draco wrapped an arm around her shoulder as Mrs. Weasley led them both out of the room of death and down the long corridor. Hermione was still in shock and blamed herself as she continued to walk down the unlit hallways. All she wanted to do was break down and cry but she knew Draco had enough on his plate already and she didn't want to add more to it.

She quickly wiped away a tear that escaped her eye, so no one notice, and continued to walk out of the now grim Foyer. The same Foyer, that once looked so beautiful to her a few weeks ago.


	38. Chapter 38- Remember Me

Chapter 38- Remember Me

 **Friday, May 4** **th** **, 2001 04:15pm**

Draco paced back and forth outside of the room Hermione's was placed in, as Healer Francis looked her over. He was actually surprised the hospital even let him back in after his break down not long ago. Although, they should be happy that that breakdown was nothing compared to the one at Malfoy Manor. He probably would have been arrested on the spot. However he might be arrested soon, after the Ministry finds out he accidently, on purpose, murdered Pansy.

He wanted to kill her so badly. He wanted to watch her struggle as she choked to death by his hand. He wanted her to suffer, the same way she made him suffer by erasing himself from Hermione's mind.

But Hermione pushing him, made him lose concentration and her neck snapped. He didn't mean for it to happen, at least not like that, although he wasn't upset about it. He was glad Pansy was dead but what he worried about now, was not just the health of his child and his fiancée, but whether or not he would even be around to see his baby born.

Mrs. Weasley walked down the hallway toward him carrying what looked like a cup of tea. He stopped pacing back and forth when he realized Luna was following behind her.

 _'When did she get here?'_

"Here you are dear. Drink up; you will need your strength." Mrs. Weasley stated with a smile, handing over a hot cup to him.

He nodded his head at Luna who looked a little weary of him but smiled anyway and took a seat in chair in the hallway.

Draco took the cup from Mrs. Weasley's hands, thanked her and hesitantly, sat down next to Luna.

"I am going to head back the Manor and see exactly what we are in for. I ran into Luna here, in the Lobby, and she offered to keep you company while I am gone." She placed a hand gently on his shoulder. "We will fix this, you hear? We will do everything we can to make sure you are not sent off to Azkaban. Arthur and I will contact your parents and tell them what happened. All you need to worry about right now, is your family in this hospital, okay?"

He looked up at the woman and couldn't help himself.

"Why are you being so nice to me? My family has been nothing but hateful to yours. I never even had a chance to apologize to you for my actions in the war…and well before the war too." He asked calmly.

Molly Weasley let out a deep sigh and sat down next to Draco.

"Hermione loves you Draco. She is a good judge of character and if she can forgive you for all the things you have done to her, then I can forgive you as well…Plus George, Ron, and Ginny have pleaded your case for you. A little too well I might add. I felt ganged up on." She chuckled slightly as she looked at the blank white wall in front of her. "We saw the memories Harry brought over to us and I couldn't help but feel…pity. Pity that anyone had to go through what you went through. Not just on that ship but also what you went through in the war." She looked down at her hands "Your choices where not your own and although, I feel that we would have accepted you if you came to the Order; I understand why you didn't. You wanted to protect your parents. I respect that…because…I would have done the same thing for my family." She turned and looked at him "You are not a coward Draco. I know you feel that you were…or are…but you're not. You are very brave for having to do what you did to save your family. None of what you did was easy, I know that now, and I know that you love Hermione with everything you have…it is rare, you know? To find love like that; your hearts beat for each other. We all witnessed that not long ago…I don't know much about emotional magic but I do know, how deeply you feel things compared to others and I know it is hard to control…I know of another who was just like you."

"Really?" Draco asked sitting up with his interest now peaked. "Who?"

"It was a long time ago when I discovered it, but Severus Snape; Merlin, rest his soul."

"Professor Snape?" he asked perplexed.

"Yes." She continued sitting back in her chair and looked at the wall again. "Why do you think he never showed any emotion? Well any, other than distaste. He was always so serious and remarkably maintained constant vigilance over his emotions…Only once, that I know of, did he ever lose control."

"When?" Draco turned in his chair to face Mrs. Weasley; as did Luna who was listening to every word spoken.

"The night the love of his life was murdered. Lilly Evans; Harry Potter's mother."

"Snape was in love with Potter's mother?" he questioned now fully intrigued.

"Oh, yes. It was a whole thing," She waved a hand in the air "but I am afraid it is not my story to tell. You will have to ask Harry if you want more details…Anyway, the night you-know-who, killed his parents, Snape found Lilly dead in front of Harry's crib. His breakdown was a lot like yours. Not as powerful, but it was up there. No one remembers the storm that night. No one except Dumbledore, Minerva, and a small portion of the Order; the rest of the town had been obliviated of the memory…Since then, Severus never showed another emotion again."

Draco turned and leaned back in his chair in shock. He couldn't believe what he just heard.

 _'Snape was just like him. Did Snape know that he was just like him? Is that why he took him under his wing and became his godfather?'_

"Well," Molly stood up after patting his leg lightly "I should be heading out. You just sit tight while we sort this mess out, alright?"

He nodded his head and looked down at his tea. Mrs. Weasley turned on her heals and began walking down the hallway.

Draco leaned forward and rested his elbows on his thighs. He looked down at the tea and began thinking back on everything Professor Snape ever did. His thoughts however, were interrupted after a few minutes of silence, by none other than Luna.

"I know why Hermione was able to break the memory charm." She stated calmly as she crossed her legs under her and looked at the ceiling.

Draco had forgotten Luna was even still next to him but looked at the Ravenclaw with a raised brow in curiosity.

 _'Leave it to Lovegood to know everything no one else knows…Maybe her imaginary creatures are real and we all just assumed she was crazy…No, no she definitely is still crazy; but a very intelligent crazy. It's no wonder she was sorted into the smartest house.'_

"Okay…how?" he asked a few seconds after contemplating whether or not she really knew.

"The stones, of course." She stated dreamily.

"What? Luna the stones are safely hidden away. How could they possibly help Hermione break the charm?"

She looked away from the ceiling as she began to explain.

"The stones only throw soulmates into the past. I did some reading the other day. My father has a ton of rare books on ancient artifacts. He even has one on the time stones that is not even found in the restricted section at Hogwarts."

"Oh…kay. You have my attention." he leaned back but didn't look away from her.

"According to the book, the stones are meant to guide lost soulmates together by placing them in a disaster. A trial that tests the couple and brings them together." She continued a little too cheerfully.

"I already know that. Aquila explained that when she found out we weren't from that time."

"Yes, but did she tell you that the stones prevent a person from ever forgetting their soulmate?"

"I-no…what?" he asked in bewilderment.

"If I remember the passage correctly," she held a finger to her chin and looked up "If a memory charm is ever cast upon one or both of the soulmates, even if it was by each other, flashes of the time spent in the past leading up to the time of Obliviation; will course through mates mind. The stones quite literally make you remember one another. So, even if Pansy erased your memory too, you both would end up remembering you love each other. Surviving the trial, bounds you together for life." she explained like it was nothing.

"Wha-I, why didn't you say something before the Manor happened?" he asked slightly upset "We could have avoided that disaster all together."

"I didn't know that Pansy would try and Obliviate you both. I didn't think it was important at the time…I'm sorry Draco." Luna stated rather sadly.

"It's…It's okay…" he sighed "No one knew what Pansy had planned."

A few silent, very awkward, minutes pass by and Draco went back to looking at his still full cup while Luna looked to be day dreaming.

"I did stop at home before I came here." she pipped up with a smile and Draco rolled his eyes, turned his head slightly, and looked at her. "I thought you might like this."

She pulled out a wooden picture frame from her bag, which Draco didn't even know she had next to her, and handed it to him. He set his tea on the floor and eyed the blonde girl with skepticism, before he hesitantly took the frame from Luna's hands.

Flipping the wooden frame over Draco let out a light gasp. There in his hand, was the picture of Hermione and him looking lovingly into each other's eyes in front of the Grand Staircase of the Titanic. The black and white photo, dated April 11th, 1912, looked aged and washed out, but it still looked perfect to him. Luna looked to have charmed away the water damage he knew it should have had, since it sat at the bottom of the Atlantic ocean for eighty-nine years.

 _'He couldn't believe she actually had it. He thought she was making it up when she first told him about it.'_

He gently touched the glass as he stared at the picture in his hands. A thousand memories coursed through his mind at once and he began to smile. Without thinking, Draco did the one thing he knew he was not known for. He quickly turned and hugged Luna Lovegood.

"Thank you…Thank you so much." He whispered as he tried not to shed a tear.

Luna didn't seem shaken like anyone else would have, as he hugged her tightly. He was not a hugger and the only person he ever showed affection towards, was Hermione. But Luna had just given him the best gift he could have ever received. She gave him a piece of the past he never thought he would see again.

He pulled back from the hug and looked back down at the picture with a wide smile.

"You're welcome." She stated happily. "Oh, I also have this…Don't tell anyone, but I went back to that muggle museum about a week ago. I was saving it for a wedding present but I think you deserve to have it now."

Draco raised a brow in confusion and set the picture on his lap as Luna reached back into her bag and pulled out a neatly wrapped, white, flat, box. She handed it to him with a large smile and placed her hands in her lap in excitement. He gave her a friendly smirk and began to slowly unwrap, the gift.

Once the paper was removed from the box, he lifted the lid slowly, revealing another framed black and white photo. However this picture had the people he grew to care for most in the past. Sitting at a large dining table during dinner, was Aquila, Cygnus, Dimitra, Robert, Molly, Hermione, and himself; all laughing with jubilated smiles on their faces. He knew this picture was taken after they became closer to Aquila and the sheer euphoria he felt at seeing their faces again brought a tear to his eye and he began to chuckle.

"Luna…How…How did you get this?... _'April 14_ _th_ _, 1912'_ …This was taken right before the ship hit the iceberg." he claimed, looking at the date on the bottom on the picture in shock.

"Simple really; you both looked happy with those people. It was the only other picture I could find at the museum with you both, so I swapped it and altered the copy like I did the other one…You both deserve to be happy like you are in this picture, Draco. I think you both earned that comfort."

"I…I don't know what to say." He looked back up at the blonde girl sitting next to him.

"You don't have to say anything." She shrugged with a twinkle in her eye. "The joy on your face, says it all."

"Thank you Luna…For everything…Thank you."

X

 **Friday, May 4** **th** **, 2001 05:14pm**

"I don't like that this is twice, in less than a month, that you have been admitted into this hospital Ms. Granger." Healer Francis frowned over his spectacles.

"Sorry…I-" Hermione began, feeling bad, but the healer waved a hand cutting her off.

"I know that neither time was your fault. Just please be more careful in the future Ms. Granger. As much as I like you, I would rather not see you all the time. Except for when we actually have checkups scheduled." He smiled kindly at her.

"Of course, Healer Francis." She smiled back. "And as cheerful as you are I would rather not see you anymore than I have to." She chuckled.

Francis shook his head still smiling and looked down at her chart.

"Well, let see. No lasting injuries but you will be sore for a few days. The spell used on your arm is not the same one used the last time, so we should be able to remove it with minimal to no scaring…As for your child, everything is fine; in fact; it seems the curse didn't even touch the womb."

"But how can that be?" Hermione questioned with curiosity. "Pansy held that curse on me for a while."

He eyed her for a moment before sitting on the edge of the bottom of the bed.

"Did you, at any moment, feel pain in your stomach?" he asked with a raised brow.

She shook her head no before he clicked his tongue and continued.

"A mother's love, Ms. Granger, can do extraordinary and miraculous things." He replied kindly holding the clipboard on his lap.

 _'His demeanor reminded her so much of Dumbledore…she miss him greatly.'_

"So, you're saying…I protected my child? Without even knowing I was doing it?"

"That is exactly what I am saying." He smiled again. "Now," he continued standing up. "let's see that arm of yours."

Hermione held out her right arm as the Healer pulled out his wand. He flicked his wrist and muttered a spell she had never heard before. The letters on her arm began to vanish as if they were never there to begin with. She pulled her arm back as he released her wrist and looked at her forearm with a grin.

"Thank you!" she spoke happily not looking away from the now bare arm. "I'll have to remember that spell."

"Unfortunately, that spell is for hospital officials only; but let's hope you will never need it again…Now before Mr. Malfoy throws another fit, I will go and inform him that you and your child are fine and he can see you. Visiting hours are until seven but I am sure you will be released before then. Try not to have too many people in the room at once; I don't want to get yelled at for overcrowding." He chuckled "Plus you need your rest, so the only prescription I am giving you today, is to go home after I finish your paperwork and sleep…at least for a few hours. Drink plenty of water and eat something too. I will see you in a week for your check up, alright?"

"Thank you Healer Francis!" she exclaimed before he nodded his head and walked out of the room.

Draco and Luna came in moments later both laughing together. She lowered her arm as she looked at them in wonder.

"Why are you both so happy?" she asked perplexed but a grin of her own eased on her face.

"I'll tell you later but right now," he leaned down and kissed her on the forehead before planting a gentle kiss on her lips. "I love you."

"I love you too." She beamed. "What have you both been up to?" she asked when Draco took a seat on the edge of her bed.

"Well," Draco started, grabbing her hand and holding it. "Potter sent a Patronus saying he will be here soon with news about our situation and Luna and I have become somewhat…friends I guess." He chortled slightly.

"Weren't you friends before?" she asked confused.

"Not really." Luna chimed in "We are hugging friends now." she stated proudly.

Hermione raised a brow as she tried not to laugh at Draco's uncomfortableness.

"Aren't you going to show her the present Draco?" Luna asked.

"What present?" Hermione turned her head and looked back at Draco.

He pulled out a tiny box from his pocket and brought his wand. Enlarging the package he set it on her lap. Lifting her feet up, he pulled his long legs up under him as he settled fully on the bottom of the bed and rested her legs on his.

"What is this?" she asked with a smile.

"Open it and find out." He replied with a large grin.

Hermione looked down at the box and slowly removed the lid. Two wooden framed, black and white, pictures sat on top of each other and she couldn't help but let out a loud gasp when she noticed what the pictures entailed.

"Draco! How did you get these?" she questioned in shock as she held a frame in each hand. "This…This is amazing." She began to tear up in happiness.

"From Luna, actually, and those are the originals too." He expressed as he began massaging her left foot through the blanket.

"I never…I never thought I would see their faces again…" she chocked up as she touched the glass with her fingertips, looking at Aquila and Cygnus.

Pulling back her hand she touched her lips lightly as she looked to Luna who was smiling with glee. Setting the pictures down she waved her hands for Luna to come over.

Luna stood up and happily jumped over to her. Hermione hugged her with everything she had as tears streamed down her beaming face.

"Thank you!" she exclaimed with a giggle.

"You're most welcome Hermione." Luna stated when she pulled back from the hug.

"What? No hug for me?' Harry chirped in while standing in the door frame.

"Harry!" Hermione yelled out still widely smiling.

He walked over to her, kissed her temple and hugged her.

"So I have good news and bad news…Which one do you want to hear first?" he asked pulling away from Hermione.

"Give us the bad." Draco stated now serious as he crossed his arms and turned to face Harry.

"Well," Harry began "bad news, your parents are not too happy about the destruction of the Drawing Room. You have a lot of work cut out for you to fix it. They refuse to help in the repairs. Your mother practically fainted when she heard what you did."

"That's the bad news?" Draco asked raising his brows. "What is the good?"

"Good news." Harry continued taking the last spare chair in the room next to Luna and leaned forward. "The Ministry is not pressing charges. Kingsley said he is going to explain to the Parkinson's what their daughter did but he is going to leave out the raging storm you produced and tell them she died because you were defending yourself…You are in the clear Malfoy! There will be no trial and you are not going to be arrested."

"What?" Hermione asked in shock. "That is wonderful news; Draco did you hear that?" she leaned forward and place a hand on his shoulder.

Draco however, continued to gaze at Harry; almost as if he was looking through him.

"Draco?" she shook him slightly.

"Huh-What?" he blinked a few times as he snapped out of his trance.

"I asked if you heard what Harry said." She repeated.

"I…Yeah, I just…I don't understand; you mean I am not getting sent to Azkaban? But I killed someone? I murdered her in cold blood."

Harry eyed him up in suspicion.

"Yeah, but it's not like you did it on purpose. It was an accident." He replied carefully while looking at Hermione.

Draco lowered his head and began picking at the blanket on Hermione's feet.

"…Right…accident." He muttered.

Hermione looked at Harry with worry. She knew full well that even if she didn't push Draco, he still would have killed Pansy. The thought didn't make her feel any better about the situation and it certainly didn't help that she still felt bad for not defending herself well enough, at the flat, in the beginning.

She knew it wasn't entirely her fault though. No one could have expected the outcome that happened. It was like having an argument with someone and then hours later, finally thinking of things you could have said differently.

 _'Nothing could change the fact that Pansy put this on herself. She was the only one to blame for her actions, but it still hurt knowing Draco only killed Pansy…because of her. She used to be his friend, once upon a time, and because she fell in love with him but he didn't reciprocate, she became obsessive. The same situation most likely would have happened if it was Astoria he was going to marry instead of her. If she never was thrown back to 1912 and fell for the Slytherin, Draco never would have loved her like he did and it would have been Astoria he defended. Either way, Pansy's death would have happened; maybe not in the same scenario, but it would have happened. Pansy sealed her own fate. She was just saddened that there was nothing she could do to help her.'_

"Anyway," Harry interrupted her thought "I figured since none of us have eaten yet; after Hermione is released, we can go back to my place and have dinner…You all in?" he looked around the room at the current occupants.

Luna nodded her head and Draco didn't answer as he continued to play with a now loose strand of cotton from the blanket.

"Of course!' Hermione claimed not looking away from her fiancé. "We would love to join you for dinner."

"Great!" Harry stood up "I will let Ginny know to expect three more. Luna would you like to help?"

Luna seemed to get the hint and nodded her head. She too stood up and hugged Hermione goodbye. She turned to Draco and even though he never looked up she hugged him and whispered something into his ear before backing away and smiled brightly at Harry.

Whatever she said, made Draco finally raise his head with a friendly smirk. She would have to ask him about it later but she knew whatever Luna told him, she was glad it cheered him up.

"Ah, I see you have followed my advice and didn't allow too many people in the room. Glad I won't be reprimanded for that." Healer Francis interrupted as he walked into the room.

He looked at Harry and Luna before he looked back to Hermione.

"I have your discharge papers right here. You ready to get out of this place?" He asked with a grin.

"You bet!" Hermione beamed.

"Now remember what I said Ms. Granger. Do not become a frequent flyer unless we have an actual appointment scheduled, you hear? I don't want to have to put you on bed rest to keep you out of trouble." He joked.

"No worries Healer. I will definitely stay out of trouble."

"Famous last words." He joked again as he handed her the paperwork.

She let out a small laugh as she took the papers. He bowed slightly and smiled at the group in the room before heading out of the door.

"Well, I guess we will see you in a bit." Harry winked before kissing her temple again and walked out of the room with Luna in tow.

Hermione turned back to Draco who was now removing her feet from his lap and stood up.

"Draco?"

"Hmm?"

"Are you okay?" She asked as he began to pack up the pictures.

"Yeah."

"Don't lie to me."

"Then why ask me if you already know the answer?" He snapped.

"Sorry…I just-"

"Don't apologize." He cut her off "I'm sorry for snapping at you…" he took in a deep breath, set the box on the chair, and took a seat back on the edge of the bed. "No…No I am not okay." He slid his fingers through his hair "I almost lost you Hermione, and I killed Pansy, and I almost destroyed my parents' home in the process…I am a mess."

"But you didn't lose me and a home can be rebuilt. And as for Pansy's death; it was an accident."

"But it wasn't!" he confessed, standing back up "I wanted her dead. I wanted her to feel the pain she made me feel when she erased me from you. I wanted her to know what it was like to not be able to breathe like I couldn't breathe, when you forgot me."

"Draco, I-"

"I wanted her to suffer Hermione. For torturing you, for putting our child in danger, for trying to take me away from you! I wanted to kill her. I wanted to watch, as the life drain from her pathetic green eyes! I wanted-"

"Revenge?" she interrupted.

"And what does that say about me huh?...I am a monster. Just like my father once was." He sat back down in defeat.

"You're not a monster Draco. Neither was your father. You are human and if we are going to be fair here, if the roles were reversed…I would have wanted the same thing…Does that make me a monster?"

"Of course not!" he replied crossing his arms.

"So why does it make you one and not me?"

"Because it is who I am and because of this!" he pulled his sleeve up revealing the very faded Dark Mark.

Hermione grabbed his arm in her hands and held on tight when he tried to pull away.

"Would you stop letting the bullshit you have done in the past, define who you are! This," she pointed to the mark "does not define you, just like this," she held out her own forearm with the word mudblood, and placed it next to his "Does not define who I am…loving someone and being upset for almost losing them by the hands of another; wanting revenge Draco…It does not make us monsters…it makes us human."

He looked down at the marks that scared their arms before looking up at her with sad but caring eyes.

"This is why I need you…you show me the right path every time. You changed me." He spoke softly.

"I didn't change you Draco. You did that all on your own. I simply guided you to be a better person; the person we both know, you were always meant to be."


	39. Chapter 39- Can You Imagine

**Some lines from my own, coming up wedding, vows, are placed in this chapter. I hope you like it!**

Chapter 39- Can You Imagine

 **Sunday, May 6** **th** **, 2001 10:44am**

Hermione stood in front of the overly large mirror as a muggle seamstress finished the last stitch in her wedding dress. The silver embroidery on the strapless corset top, flowed down into the skirt of the ball gown, making it look like vines trickled down the dress. She was in love with the details and it suited her taste perfectly and she admired how simple, yet intricate, the dress was. She couldn't wait to wear it on her wedding day; the day, they so far, have yet to pick out.

Ginny had dragged her to so many shops in the wizarding world to try on dresses over the last month, but none of them seemed to fit Hermione's taste. To her, it felt wrong to go anywhere but a muggle shop, so Ginny brought her to a family owned business in the middle of East London.

She did a small twirl as she looked herself over once the seamstress was done and walked away. Hermione couldn't help but smile as she tried to hold back tears. She had always dreamed of her wedding day; from the songs that would play, to the beautiful red roses that would scatter throughout the room. But so far, the only thing she had been able to plan was her wedding dress. She didn't even have a venue picked out yet.

As Hermione laid her hands upon the skirt of her dress, pressing away the nonexistent creases, Ginny stepped out of the dressing room wearing a very pretty, long, red, bridesmaid dress with gold heels. The dress fit her perfectly and looked very similar to the one she wore on the night of the Malfoy family Charity Ball.

"Oh Ginny! Look at you! You look amazing!" she expressed as she held her hands to her lips in excitement.

"Me? Look at you! I can't believe this is happening! You look gorgeous Mione! Draco is going to lose his mind when he sees you!"

Hermione let off a blushing smiles as she turned back to look in the mirror.

"You think so?" she asked with her cheeks now pink.

"I know so!" Ginny expressed with a wide grin. "Here put this on I want to get the full affect." She handed over her silver tennis bracelet that she removed from her wrist. "Think of it as something borrowed." She smiled. "Now let's see what you'll look like with your hair and makeup done."

She looked around the corner to make sure no one was watching and pulled out her wand.

If Hermione was paying attention to her best friend, she would have noticed Ginny's slight mischievous smile as she looked at her with pride. She would have noticed that Ginny had her hair done perfectly in a side ponytail that laid on her shoulders and how flawless her make up looked. However, Hermione was too focused on her own thoughts to even gain a hint of what the red head was up to.

Hermione's mouth hung open as she watched her hair fall out of the loose bun with a simple flick of Ginny's wrist. The messy up do fell to her shoulders in light waves that made any hair style she has ever had look like a child did it. Ginny added some light brown highlights before she pinned back some of her hair with a blue butterfly clip.

"Something blue."

She added some make up to complete the look and Hermione stood there, stunned, as she looked at herself.

"Gin…you didn't have to do all of this…this…this is amazing!" Hermione stood shell-shocked looking in the mirror.

"Wait…one more thing."

Ginny pulled out a silver necklace from her bag and brought it around her neck. Hermione's hand instantly went to touch the pendant when she recognized it as Dimitra's.

"Oh my God, Ginny! Where did you get this!" she asked with her mouth in an o shape.

"I found it at the house. And before you ask the stone is just a ruby, I made sure." She giggled as she finished clasping the necklace and rested her chin on her shoulder. "Now you look like a bride." She smiled. "Something old and…something new." She held out the earrings she gave her before the ball.

Ginny stepped away but Hermione was too shocked to notice Ginny lean back and wink at someone standing just outside the shop.

"Oh!" Ginny exclaimed "I'll be right back."

"Where are you going?" Hermione asked confused, looking at her through the mirror.

"Just outside; I'll be right back, just don't change, okay? I want to get pictures of you in that dress!" she beamed as she walked away still in her bridesmaid dress.

Hermione shrugged her shoulders and took a seat on one of the benches in the shop as she waited for her friend to return. She put the earrings in and picked up a bridal magazine. She began flipping through the pages but only got to the fourth page, when Ginny came back looking terrified.

"What's wrong Gin?" she asked worried as she set the magazine down.

"We have an emergency! Put these on and follow me!" Ginny claimed handing her a pair of plain white ballet flats.

"Emergency? What happened? I should go change!" Hermione stood up in a panic.

"No time! I explained to the owner that we need to leave now. The dresses are already paid for so it's not like you are stealing anyway; just hurry up we have to go!"

"Ginny, I can't leave here wearing a wedding dress!"

"Mione! We don't have time to argue about this; put your shoes on and let's go!"

Hermione dropped the flats and slipped them on to her feet before following Ginny out the front door.

"Ginny what happened? Where are we going?" Hermione asked frantic holding her dress up, assuming the worse as Ginny dragged her down an alleyway.

Ginny though, said nothing. Instead, she grabbed her hands and apparated them both away.

They arrived outside a house that Hermione had instantly recognized as the Tutor house she and Draco had snuck into, back in 1912. She was confused why Ginny had brought her to Southampton of all places.

 _'No one she knew would be in the town, let alone have an emergency at the old museum.'_

"Gin, what are we doing here?" she asked in concern.

"I told you, we have an emergency. Speaking of which." She pulled out her wand and pointed it inside her bag.

"What are you doing?" Hermione asked perplexed.

Ginny ignored her question and casted a wordless charm, reached into her handbag, and pulled out two rose bouquets. She handed her the large full red one as she kept the smaller white one in her own hands. She grabbed Hermione's hand and began dragging her down the side street to the back of the building.

People were smiling and staring at Hermione and she could only imagine why. She was being pulled by her Maid of Honor, down a street, wearing a ball gown wedding dress, still worried that someone was in trouble.

"Ginny!" she yelled as she came to a stop just outside the large gate in the back and pulled her hand from her best friend. "What is going on?" she asked firmly.

But Ginny just smiled before looking around Hermione and motioning with her eyes to turn around. Hermione was reluctant as she was still confused, but slowly turned around to see her smiling father looking down at her with pride. He was wearing a black tux with a white shirt and a red tie and he looked so handsome.

"Daddy? What are you doing here?" she asked gently.

Hermione turned slightly to ask Ginny again what was happening as she heard Celine Dion's- Because You Loved Me, start to play in the background. But Ginny had slipped through the gate leaving her alone with her father.

Mr. Granger grinned as he looked at his only daughter with such love.

"You look beautiful Hermione." He stated with watery eyes. "I am so proud of you."

"Dad?" was all she could mutter as he reached out an arm for her to take.

"Are you ready?" he asked when she finally realized what was happening.

Hermione was struck speechless as she looked at her father with tears of her own forming in her caramel eyes. She hooked an arm through his as she nodded her head and chortled.

The song continued to play through the second chorus as he walked her up to the gate. He patted her hand tenderly and two men on the other side opened the double doors revealing a garden full of her closest family and friends.

 _" **You were my strength when I was weak…"**_

The people in the garden stood up from their seats as they looked back at her with smiling faces. Hermione herself couldn't help but let out a giggle as she looked around and saw everyone she ever loved, watch her begin to walk down the aisle.

Hermione looked up and saw Ginny grinning from ear to ear as she stood next to Luna who was wearing the exact same red dress and held the same white rose bouquet in her hands. Kingsley Shacklebolt looked up from the podium and smiled. Blaise stood on the other side in a black tux that matched her father, with Theo standing next to him.

She was confused however, why no groom stood at the end. However, she sucked in her bottom lip when Draco stood up from the front row where he was seated next to his mother and father, and made his way to stand to the right of Blaise.

 _" **You saw the best there was in me…"**_

His smile beamed when he saw her walking down the aisle and she too smiled widely with happiness. She couldn't believe that this was happening. She never thought that Draco would plan something so wonderful for her and he somehow got everyone, including Hagrid and Professor McGonagall, to show up.

Her father continued to walk her down the aisle, all the while, Draco never took his eyes off of her.

 _" **I'm everything I am, because you loved me..."**_

Mr. Granger stopped walking once they reached the altar, and turned to face his daughter. He smiled brightly as he released her arm and kissed her forehead as the song ended.

"Who gives this woman to be married this man today?" Kingsley asked.

"Her mother and I do." Mr. Granger stated proudly.

"Very well." He bowed his head as Mr. Granger hugged Hermione and then hugged Draco. "You take good care of her son." He whispered loud enough for Hermione to hear.

"Always." Draco replied pulling back from the hug and shaking the man's hand.

Taking Hermione's hand from him; he faced his bride to be and looked at her. His grey eyes pierced her caramel ones with such fondness, her heart skipped a beat. He was looking at her, like she was the only one in the garden.

"You look beautiful Hermione." He whispered so only she could hear.

"Draco," She smiled "How did you do all of this-When did you do all of this?"

He held a finger to his lips with a half-smile and turned to Kingsley.

"Dearly beloved…" Kingsley began.

Kingsley went on to say the rest of his speech. He talked about love and honor; how he saw the pair grow up and how they have come together, finally letting the past be the past.

"And now for the vows and rings." He spoke gently.

"Oh, I…I didn't write anything." Hermione looked at him with worry as Blaise handed Draco a ring.

"I have." Draco cut in as he turned to face her.

He grabbed her left hand in his, began to place the ring on her finger partially, and took a deep breath.

"Hermione…I remember the day we came here. It was our first date and I remember it like it was yesterday. I remember standing in this very spot, when you turned to me and said 'Can you imagine having a wedding here? The pictures would be to die for.'…I thought then, that I would never get to have or experience a wedding, in this garden, with you. Little did I know, how wrong I was…I have spent most of my life, looking down. I had this fear for the longest time that…that this wasn't real. Because in my head, love like this only happens to other people; not to me. I was lost for so long. I was a coward and someone I thought was unlovable and incapable of loving someone else. But you changed my opinion of myself. You helped show me, who I really am….The day you told me you loved me, made me the happiest man on the planet. And in that moment…I finally looked up…You have always been the strongest one of your friends," he looked to Harry and Ron sitting in the front row on her side "No offense." He laughed while her friends shrugged, knowing he was right. "You have always been the annoying bookworm who out shined me in every class, well…except potions." He chuckled "You always had your nose in a book and you were always the first one to raise your hand in class. You were insufferable and a know-it-all… but…I admired you then, even if I didn't exactly show it. You are the brightest witch of our age; why you chose me? I will never understand." He let out a light laugh along with the rest of the crowd. "But you saved me. You saved me from myself and I love you so much for that. You have shown me what it feels like to be free, to give without expecting anything in return and be happy about it, to care for others who bleed the same blood I do…I can't promise that I won't ever hurt you, I can't promise that I won't make decisions for you, and I can't promise that I won't mess up and make you mad…What I can promise you though, is that I will always defend you...I promise that I will always stand by your side even when I don't agree with you…I promise…That I won't ever forget…that you, are my home. Where ever you are…is where I belong. I love you Hermione Jean Granger. I love you with every fiber of my being and I promise, I always will."

The women in the audience teared up as they began to wipe their eyes with tissues and jokingly hit their husbands for not saying the same romantic things to them.

Hermione on the other hand, bit her bottom lip as she tried not to cry while Draco slipped a silver diamond band down the rest of her finger. She felt a light tap her on her shoulder, so she turned slightly and Ginny began wiping her tears away with a tissue, so she would not ruin her make-up, and handed her a plain silver band and took her bouquet. Hermione let out a breathy giggle before she turned back around and looked at Draco.

"That was very moving Mr. Malfoy." Kingsley smiled. "Now if you could Hermione, place the ring on-"

"Wait." Hermione held up a hand to interrupt him.

Draco looked confused at the action and looked to her with slight worry in his eyes.

"I'd like to say something too…"

Kingsley bowed his head slightly to let her continue. Hermione took in a deep breath and held Draco's left hand in hers, copying the same process he did with her ring, before she looked up into his beautiful stormy grey eyes.

"…I don't have anything planned; in fact I didn't have anything but this dress planned." She let out a chuckle. "…I didn't plan to fall in love with you Draco; in fact not long ago, I planned to fully keep hating you…but I did fall in love with you. I didn't plan to go through hell and high water, pun intended." She winked and the people who knew what she was talking about, let out light laughs. "But I did. I didn't plan to get up here and say what is in my heart to you, hoping that it sounds just as good as your vows…but I am…I don't really know what to say, except that I love you. You have shown me things too, you know? And I have learned that it's okay, to not always be okay. You have shown me that, it's good to let loose and have a fun and that not everything has to be serious all the time. You have taught me, that even if people don't like me, that it's okay to not let it affect me or who I am as a person. Because of you, I know that it is perfectly normal and fine, to be afraid sometimes, and that I don't always have to be brave. You saved me too Draco, just as much as I have saved you. There is a quote I read once… _**'Love isn't perfect. It isn't a fairytale or a storybook and it doesn't always come easy. Love is overcoming obstacles, facing challenges, fighting to be together, holding on and never letting go…It is a short word, easy to spell, difficult to define, and impossible to live without…Love is work, but most of all, Love is realizing that every hour, every minute, and every second was worth it because you did it together. Life is too short to wake up in the morning with regrets. So, love the people who treat you right, forget about the ones who don't. Know that everything happens for a reason. And if you get a chance, take it. If it changes your life, let it. Nobody said that life would be easy; they just promised it would be worth it.'**_ So…from this day forward, I promise to always love you Draco, even when you make me mad…in this world and the next."

Draco wiped a stray tear from his eyes and leaned down to kiss her.

"Eh, em!" Kingsley grunted. "Not yet son." He winked.

Draco pulled back with a large grin and wiggled back and forth in anticipation.

"Hurry up will you." he stated with impatience.

The crowd laughed and Kingsley shook his head.

"Do you, Draco Lucius Malfoy, take Hermione, to be your lawfully wedded wife? To have and to hold, from this day forward?"

"I do." He stated proudly.

"And do you, Hermione Jean Granger, take Draco, to be you lawfully wedded husband? To have and to hold, from this day forward?"

"I do." She beamed.

"If anyone here has reason, that these two shall not be wed…then you should have said something earlier, because it's too late now! By the power vested in me of and the Ministry for Magic, I now pronounce you Husband and Wife! You may kiss the bride!"

Draco quickly pulled Hermione in to a deep and passionate kiss as the crowd stood up cheering and clapping.

"May I be the first to introduce to you, Mr. and Mrs. Draco Malfoy!" Kingsley shouted with raised hands.

The kiss broke but the couple kept looking into each other eyes as their foreheads stayed connected and smiled at each other for a moment, before turning to face the crowd and raised their hands in happiness.

X

 **12:53pm**

Draco and Hermione were introduced during their reception in the Tutor house's Grand Hall, after the bridal party. Hermione looked around the room and still could not believe that it was her wedding day. A DJ was placed on the stage ready to start the first dance song as Ginny, Luna, Blaise, and Theo took their seats at the head table directly in front of him.

The couple walked to the center of the dance floor and Draco placed a hand on Hermione's hip before holding out his right hand for her to take. Placing a hand on his shoulder she smiled up at him as the music began.

"Draco? What song is this?" she asked as the soft intro played.

"You'll see." Was all he said as he pulled her in closer.

Hermione looked at him confused until she heard live singers begin to sing the word 'baby' over and over again. Her face made and o as she slowly looked away from Draco and up at the stage.

 _" **I will never find another lover, sweeter than you; sweeter than you."**_

"Oh my Godric!" she expelled through a breath.

 _" **And I will never find another lover, more precious than you; more precious than you. Girl you are-"**_

"K-Ci and Jojo?" she asked stunned while Draco began swaying her back and forth. "Draco how the heck did you get them to play my favorite song, live, at our wedding- wait how did you even know this was my favorite song?"

He didn't answer right away. Instead he pulled back from her and twirled her around.

 _" **And all my life, I prayed for someone like you. And I thank God that I, that I finally found you."**_

She spun back into him and he bent down to kiss her. Once he pulled back he finally spoke.

"You remember when I told you that you talk in your sleep?"

"Vaguely." She rolled her eyes.

"Well, it took me a long time to understand what you were saying over the past month, until I realized they were lyrics. So I wrote them down every day and had Potter search it on that gooble thing-"

"Google." She corrected.

"Right. Anyway and we found out who sang it and called them in." he continued.

"Seriously? I sang lines in my sleep?" she asked slightly mortified.

He let out a laugh and shook his head.

 _" **Said, I promise to never fall in love with a stranger-"**_

"No! I asked Ginny what your favorite song was and who sang it." she let out a sigh of relief. "Turns out, your favorite duo are actually squibs."

"Really?...So that's how you got them to play at a wedding for magical folks like us?"

 _" **And all my life, baby, baby, I prayed for someone like you. And I thank God that I, that I finally found you."**_

Draco dipped her; pulling her back up he twirled them around the dance floor and her dress floated in the air at every turn; making her look and feel like a princess.

She began singing along with the song as Draco continued to smile down at her and waltz her around the floor.

 _" **All my life-"**_

"And I thank God that I ,that I finally found you." He sang to her as the song began to slowly fade out and their movements went back to swaying.

The room began to clap when the song was done but Hermione couldn't look away from her husband.

 _'Her husband…she like the sound of that.'_

"I love you." she whispered.

"I love you more little one." He whispered back before kissing her again.

X

 **01:22pm**

Hermione was over the moon about how Draco had surprised her. She couldn't have planned a more perfect wedding then the one he had given to her.

"Speech!" someone in the crowd yelled out.

Draco and Hermione took their seat at the head table and held hands. Ginny stood up from her chair and tapped her knife against her glass to get everyone's attention and picked up a microphone. As soon as everyone saw it was Ginny, they instantly grew quite so they wouldn't feel her wrath.

"Eh, em…Mione, Draco…As the Maid of Honor it is my duty to start this speech off. Mainly because Blaise was too much of a chicken to go first." Everyone laughed and Blaise sunk into his chair. "Anyway," she waved a hand in the air "I am supposed to tell you both how much I love you and how happy I am for you both but…I can't." The room let out a few gasps. "I can't because…because there are no right words, to tell you how much I love you Hermione." She began to tear up. "And Draco…trying to find the right words to tell a git like you anything is like, super hard." She chuckled. "But you have grown on me. You are another brother to me to be honest…I couldn't have asked for a better soulmate for my sister…You both have been through so much but every hardship that has befallen on you; you both got right back up and pushed through it. You stood by each other and never let anyone bring you down…I know I am supposed to talk about old stories and joke about how Hermione turned herself into a cat accidentally in second year to spy on Draco…"

"What?" Draco interrupted looking at Hermione's now embarrassed face. "You tried to spy on me?"

"Shush! It's my turn. "Ginny held a finger to her lips. "Besides, she turned herself into a cat, she couldn't spy on you…Harry and Ron did- Anyway!" She quickly continued as the people in the room laughed. "I don't want to embarrass her on her wedding night so I will just say this" she held up her glass…Hermione, I love you so much…and it hasn't been that long but Draco, I love you too. I wish you both, every happiness. Cheers!" She beamed and stepped in to hug them both.

Once the hugs were broken she passed the mic off to Blaise.

"Well…" he began standing up "I don't really know how to top that speech but I will give it a go…I knew I should have went first." He whispered accidentally into the mic and the room giggled at him when he looked up embarrassed. "…Draco," He continued straightening his suit jacket and turned to the couple. "You are my best mate. How you managed to find a catch like Gran-I mean Mal- Hermione, I'll never know." He chuckled. "We are going to have to work on a new nickname for you." he pointed to Hermione and she shook her head with a smile. "Anyway, I am proud of you man. You have grown so much in such a short amount of time, my head is still spinning. I know a lot of your change was due to the beautiful bride sitting next to you, but I know that it wasn't all just her. You have finally become the man we all knew you could be and I am so happy for you. You are the brother I never had and Hermione…you have now become my sister…I knew you both would end up together. I didn't think it would be this soon but I knew it would happen. I am very good at observing people and the night of the Ball, when you saw your gorgeous wife walk into the room, I knew right then and there that you felt something for her. I also noticed in school, when you would not let anyone else pick on her except for yourself and when you would gaze at her during meals, without even realizing you were doing it…I knew…and I knew she would be the one to help you grow…And don't think Hermione, that I didn't notice you worry over him in sixth year when Potter was obsessed with figuring out what he was up to. I saw the way you wanted to help him and I saw that you didn't hate him…at least not aloud. I am so happy that you both have found each other. I couldn't have asked for a better pairing." He raised a glass "I love you both, Congratulation!"

Everyone clicked their glasses and Hermione stood up to hug Blaise. When she released, Draco was next her and held out a hand to shake Blaise's. Blaise reached out and shook his hand but Draco did the unexpected. He pulled him into a hug.

X

 **02:16pm**

"Mind if I have this dance? I requested this song specifically." Harry asked with an outstretched hand.

Hermione set down her cake and smiled widely at him.

"Of course Harry!"

She took his hand and moved to the dance floor. Savage Garden, Crash and Burn began to play.

"Harry? I love this song!" she claimed cheerfully.

 _" **When you feel all alone-"**_

"I know…it's not just for couples…it also a really good friendship song." He smiled as they began dancing.

 _" **Give me a moment please; to tame your wild, wild heart."**_

He twirled her in a circle and rested his hands on her hips.

"…I am really happy for you Mione. I never thought you would marry Malfoy of all people but I can see that he makes you happy. I still can't believe he planned all of this in a matter of a few days."

 _" **Let me be the one you call. If you jump, I'll break your fall-"**_

"A few days? Wha-"

"Yeah. He planned it all the day he found out you were pregnant. He got everyone in on it. It was quite surprising to see him work so hard to put it all together. Made me have more respect for him."

Hermione shook her head slightly at the shock of the news.

 _'He did all of this for her.'_

 _" **If you need to crash, than crash and burn you're not alone."**_

"He really loves you Mione. I didn't think he had it in him to change but he has made the effort prove us all wrong. I am happy it's him you married."

Hermione smiled at her best friend and rested her head on his shoulder.

 _" **And a loyal friend is hard to find-"**_

"Me too Harry…Me too."

 _" **With the monsters in your head."**_

"Mind if I cut in?" Ron asked with his hands in his pockets.

"Sure mate." Harry replied stepping away and giving Hermione to Ron but not before kissing her temple.

Ron stepped in and took her waist.

"Congratulation Mione. Really; I am happy for you…I didn't think this day would happen with Malfoy as the groom and not me but I have to say…I am glad it's him."

"You mean that?" she asked looking up at him.

 _" **Because there has always been heartache and pain-"**_

"I do. Now, if you would have asked me a few months ago, I would have said you were crazy and he's a git-"

"You did say that…a month ago." She laughed.

"True…but now I am saying he's still a git…and a good friend."

Hermione tried not to let a tear escape but it was pointless. Ron lifted a finger and wiped it away. He kissed her forehead and looked back down at her.

" **Lift you up and fly away with you into the night."**

"I love you Hermione. I always will…but I know that I wasn't the right one for you. You are my best friend and I couldn't be happier for you than I am right now. You got everything you not only ever wanted…but everything you ever deserve. I am proud to call you my family."

Hermione sucked in a breath and hugged Ron tightly.

"I love you too Ronald Weasley…I love you too."


	40. Chapter 40- Bound

**WARNING: MATURE CONTENT AT THE END :)**

 **Sunday, May 6** **th** **, 2001 02:30pm**

Draco watched in awe as Hermione danced with her friends. He was quite proud of himself that he was able to pull off a whole wedding in just a matter of days. Well, not by himself. He did have help; lot of it actually.

He had asked Ginny to take Hermione dress shopping, as much as she could, so his wife could find the dress of her dreams. It was the least he could do, since she had no part in the actual planning of their wedding.

"Hey." Blaise nudged him gently with a drink in his hand. "You ready for the garter toss?"

Draco looked away from his wife, who was now dancing with his father, and looked at his Best Man.

"Absolutely!" he stated a little too happily.

Blaise nodded his head and walked away. He walked up to the DJ and spoke to him before grabbing the mic to make the announcement. He waited until the song was over before he began speaking.

"May I have your attention please?" Blaise asked raising his glass. "If we could clear the dance floor and have the lovely couple come up front. We are going to do, what muggles call, the garter toss, followed by the bouquet toss! But first, we need to get the garter off the beautiful bride, so my man Draco here, has volunteered as tribute, to obtain the item!" he laughed.

Draco shook his head and walked up to the dance floor with a half-smile on his face. Hermione took a seat in a chair that Luna had provided her, in the center of the floor and wiggled her body in excitement.

The DJ started the song 'Boombastic" by Shaggy and the crowd went wild. Hermione clapped her hands together as she began to laugh. Draco decided to let loose and have some fun. He began to sway his body back and forth as he seductively moved towards his wife. He had no idea what the song was or what the guy, who was singing it, was saying, but he enjoyed the beat and Harry recommended it; so he began to dance for his woman.

Whistles and whoops could be heard throughout the room as Draco spun in a circle. Landing the spin on his knees, he started caressing his hands up Hermione's legs under her dress, to the beat of the music.

Hermione covered her face in embarrassment and laughed when Draco began to lift her right leg in the air. He placed her leg on his shoulder and looked up at her with seductive eyes and a very large smirk. More whistles could be heard as he quickly lifted her dress and threw it over his head.

He began leaving soft pecks up her thigh and she wiggled when he began tickling her skin with his tongue. He was taking a risk doing what he was doing, in front of all of their family and friends, but he didn't care. Her dress covered his actions so he continued keep teasing her.

He placed his lips at the warmth of her center through her panties and left a long tender kiss. Her hands instinctively grabbed his head; he couldn't see her face but he was sure she was letting off a shocked expression. He let out a chuckle as he pulled back slightly. Grabbing one of her two garters between his teeth he started pulling the garter slowly down her leg. She pulled her dress up slightly, so everyone could now see what he was doing, and let out another laugh when he lifted her leg and tugged the item from her ankle.

Releasing her foot from his grasp, he stood up, removed the garter from his mouth, and held it in the air in triumph. The crowd cheered and clapped their hands as Blaise shook his head in shock and looked to be debating on whether or not he wanted to bring the microphone back up to speak.

"Well." was all he could say for a moment into the mic. "That…was…something." He finally continued. "Remind me to do that at my wedding." He whispered to Ginny, who was standing next to him.

Ginny let out a snicker and covered her mouth to try and prevent herself from laughing. The room erupted in laughter and Blaise looked to be confused. Ginny leaned over to him and whispered into the microphone.

"It's not really a secret when you whisper that into the mic." She looked at him while giggling.

"Shit! I mean dang it!…Well now we all know, to never give me one of these things again." He chortled. "Moving on!" he continued "Can we please have all of the single men in the room, and when I say single, I mean any man who is not married, to the center of the floor!"

He passed the mic off to Ginny and walked to the center of the room with the rest of the men who had gathered in a large group. Draco kissed Hermione before she moved to stand next to Ginny while he stayed in the center of the dance floor.

"Alright boys!" Ginny shouted, lifting an arm in the arm. "Let's see those hips shake!"

'Bad to the Bone' by George Thorogood began to play and Draco turned to the men who all began to dance to a song, he surprisingly knew from his party days in the Slytherin common room, as the guest clapped their hands to the beat.

He let out a laugh and began to move himself; no longer caring about embarrassing himself. After a few moments, he turned around and twirled the garter on the tip of his pointer finger.

"On the count of three!" Ginny announced. "One…two…Three!"

Draco threw the garter high in the air and quickly turned around to see who would catch it. The men all jumped in the air, with outstretched arms, trying their hardest to catch the article of clothing. To everyone's surprise, Neville threw his hand in the air, holding the garment, with a cheerful smile.

Everyone clapped at his excitement and unbeknownst to Neville, he would have to place the garter on the lucky lady who catches the bouquet.

Hermione jumped up and down as she made her way over to Neville and hugged him before stepping to the center of the floor. Draco walked back to where a sulking Blaise and a grinning Ginny stood.

"Now ladies!" she raised a hand in the air. "You know the drill!"

She passed Blaise the mic and picked up a second smaller red rose bouquet and walked over to Hermione. Handing her the flowers, she leaned in and whispered something, Draco couldn't hear, in her ear. Hermione chuckled and nodded her head before she turned to the large group of women.

'Alright ladies! Shake what you got!" Blaise called out.

'Lady Marmalade" by Christina Aguilera, Lil' Kim, Mya, and Pink, began to play. Draco watched as the women began dancing but what caught his eye was his wife; shaking her hips, and winking seductively at him while running her hands on her face and neck. She began moving her body in ways he never thought he would see and instantly a boner began to grow in his pants. She turned her back to him and began shaking her ass in his direction.

Draco grunted and coughed as he tried his hardest to resist her. He eventually had to look away from her and turn his body to the stage to calm his lower region. He sucked in a few breaths and shook his head before turning back around and placing his hands in front of him, to hide his raging hard on.

Hermione gave him a smirk and fully turned her back to the dancing women. Blaise however stood shell shocked with his mouth gaping open. Ginny grabbed the mic from his hand quickly as she tried not to laugh at all the men who were now fixed on Hermione's movements.

"Alright guys, simmer down! She is a happily married woman!" she announced "On the count of three!...One…two…three!"

Hermione tossed the bouquet in the air and turned around. Draco watched from the bottom of the stage as the women literally fought, over the flowers. He was amazed at the dexterity and agility the women had in order to fight their way to get the bouquet. He was half glad Ginny was not in the mix. He was sure a spell or two would have been cast in order for her to get the damn thing.

To everyone's astonishment, a hand reached up, holding the bouquet from the ground of women piled on top of one another. The women sulked and back up as they fixed their hair and straightened their dresses. Luna stood up, holding the flowers in her hand with a triumphant smile and messy hair.

Everyone cheered and clapped their hands while she fixed her dress. Hermione ran up to her and gave her a hug as Draco looked on with absolute shock.

 _'Who knew, of all people, that Luna Lovegood would put up a fight and win?_ ' He smirked to himself.

"Alright everyone! Now for the finale!" Ginny chimed, interrupting his thoughts. "Luna, since you are the winner, if you could have a seat in the chair that Theo has now provided for you."

Luna skipped to the chair and took a seat.

"Now Neville, if you could be so kind as to come on up here and stand in front of Luna." Ginny continued.

Neville looked around confused, so Harry and Ron let out laughs and gave him a slight push to help him. He slowly made his way to the dance floor, still holding the garter he caught, in his hands. Once he was standing in front of Luna, Ginny passed the mic over to Hermione.

"I know most of you are probably confused and wondering what is about to happen." She began. "I would like to explain it to you. In muggle tradition, the man and woman, who catch the items, are blessed with the luck of being next to get married."

Neville snapped his head up and looked completely terrified.

"Not necessarily right away Neville, or to each other." She giggled and he let out a sigh of relief. "Now this part though, is mainly just for fun but it is a superstitious tradition and one I personally always love to watch at weddings. So Neville, when the song begins, you will seal the superstition by placing the garter on Luna's leg," She grinned. "Simple."

Hermione passed the mic back to Ginny who turned to the DJ and told him to hit it.

'U Can't touch This' By MC Hammer started up and Luna began dancing in her chair, swaying back and forth. Neville however, looked like he didn't know what to do and began sweating. Luna lifted her left leg slightly in the air as she continued to sway, to help him along.

"YEAH LONGBOTTOM! WHOO! OWN THAT LEG!" Theo shouted to help give him some courage.

It seemed to be working as Neville let off light chuckle and got down on one knee. Harry and Ron also let out a few whoops as Neville lifted Luna's leg a little higher and began placing the garter on her. He let out a laugh as he finished putting the garment on her and slowly lowered her leg. Luna however, leaned in and kissed him once he released his hold. His eyes went wide at the action but he didn't have time to fully react before she pulled away, stood up, and skipped back to her table.

"Alright Longbottom! Yeah man!" Theo cheered for him.

Neville lowered his head and smiled before walking back to the same table Luna now sat at.

"Alright you party people!" Ginny announced. "Shake what your momma gave you! Let's dance!"

X

 **03:45pm**

Hermione was talking with her parents and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley when Draco approached her. She looked dreamily at him and noticed how sexy he looked with his red tie loosened and his shirt slightly undone. She was craving him but she wasn't quite sure, if it was the pregnancy hormones that made her want to pounce him in the middle of a crowded room. She however tried her best to hold back as he wrapped an arm around her waist.

"Mind if I steal my wife for a moment?" he asked the group kindly.

"Oh of course dear! We were actually just about to bring up the magical ceremony. Is it time already?" Mrs. Weasley asked holding a drink in her hand.

Draco nodded his head and looked down at Hermione.

"Magical ceremony? She questioned with a raised brow.

"It's a wizarding tradition." Mr. Weasley pipped up. "You were both married in the eyes of the muggle law earlier and but according to the wizarding law you are not married yet. It's a blood bond, very similar to an unbreakable vow."

"But I didn't see Harry and Ginny do one."

"They did. You and Ronald just weren't witnesses; myself and Molly were." He smiled.

"Oh…okay. Are you guys going to witness ours too?" she asked politely.

"No dear. Ginny and Mr. Zabini wanted to have that honor." Mrs. Weasley spoke tenderly as she rubbed her hand on Hermione's shoulder. "You better get going dear. Don't want to miss your sendoff later."

Hermione turned to face Draco and he held out his hand to guide her through the Tutor house museum, to the beautiful Drawing Room, they visited once before.

Kingsley stood in front of the large fireplace with Ginny and Blaise standing on either side of him. He looked up and smiled when he saw the pair enter the room. Hermione stopped for a moment, hesitant when she saw a chalice with sapphire gems, placed next to a very sharp looking knife.

Draco stopped walking when he noticed she wasn't moving and looked back at her with concern. He held up a finger to Kingsley before he grabbed her arm and pulled her gently back out of the room.

"Hey." He whispered. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah…" she replied looking away from him.

"We don't have to do this if you aren't comfortable, love." He suggested trying to catch her eye.

She looked up at him and smiled slightly.

"I want to do this, I just don't know what it entails and Mr. Weasley mentioned that it was a blood bond and…that is a rather large knife."

Draco let out a small laugh before raising his fingers to lift her chin.

"It just a small cut on the palm of your hand…here." He lifted her hand and ran a finger over her palm lightly to show her. "I will have the same thing done to me…we then hold our cut hands over the chalice and drip a few drops of our blood in. Kingsley will speak a few Latin words while filling the chalice with wine, and then he will asks us some questions. Once we agree, we will drink from the cup and then kiss. That will bound our bodies' and souls together. And before you ask, a little wine won't hurt the baby." He explained.

"That's it? That doesn't seem too bad."

"Well we have to consummate the marriage." He winked "Once we do, then our names will appear in the Ministry's marriage book but technically we will still be married if we don't."

"But we are already soulmates…Why do we have to bind our bodies and souls together." She questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"It's…" he hesitated "It prevents…"

"Prevents what Draco?" she asked because he looked to be struggling to answer.

"It prevents us from ever separating…there is no divorce in wizarding law, we are bounded for life. The only way out of it…is death."

"Oh." was all she could say as she looked back down at the ground.

"We don't have to do this Hermione. I am okay with just being married by muggle law where you can divorce me if you want."

"What are the perks of being bounded to you for life? I know there is something magical that runs parallel with this ceremony." she asked seriously, raising her head.

"Oh uh, well besides having me as your personal sex slave for life," he laughed "we will be connected."

"Connected?"

"Yeah…Similar to how Veela's are connected to their mate. Not as strongly though; we won't be able to feel each other's pain or anything but we will be able to feel each other's emotions; to a certain extent. Like if you are happy about something in another city, I will know you are happy. We will get a tingling feeling in our chests…It's kind of like a way for couples to know more about their spouse; to make a marriage work better…I…I know feeling how I feel, with my emotional magic and all, will pay a large toll on you so if you don't want to do this then we don't have to. We can back out now."

"Why are you trying so hard to get out of doing this Draco?"

"I'm not." He stepped back slightly. "We just…we kind of rushed into this. We have only been together for a little over a month. I just want you to be okay with being with me for life, Hermione. I...I want to make sure that you-"

"Want you?" she finished for him. She took a step forward and took his hands in hers. "Draco I will always want you. It doesn't matter if we have been together for years or only a few days, I…want…you." she raised her hand and cupped his cheek "Like it or not our fates are sealed to one another…I love you Draco and I wouldn't want to spend the rest of my life with anyone else, but you."

He pushed his face into her hand before cupping her cheek and placed a kiss on her lips. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pushed deeper into him. He wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her slightly, twirling her around and setting her down; breaking the kiss. She smiled up at him and then grabbed his hand and led him back into the room were their friends were waiting for them.

"Are you ready?" Kingsley asked standing behind the small table that held a book, the chalice and the ancient looking knife on a tribal purple, red, blue and yellow cloth.

Hermione and Draco nodded their heads and walked up to the Minister.

"We shall begin…I call forth Mrs. Ginevra Weasley-Potter and Mr. Blaise Zabini; to bear witness to the magical union of Draco Lucius Malfoy and Hermione Jean Granger-Malfoy. This ceremony will bind you to one another for the rest of your lives. This union will mark you as equals from now until forever. No man shall own his wife and no woman shall own her husband. You will be partners. You will be lovers. And you will be one another's keeper…You have both come here today to enter into marriage without coercion, freely, and wholeheartedly?"

"I have." They stated in unison.

"Very good…Now, before we get to the bonding ritual; you will each call upon a relative, dead or alive, to receive their blessing for this union. You will each write their name in this book with this quill. If the ink turns red, they have not given their blessing and the ceremony will cease instantly. If the ink turns blue, then you have received their blessing and we may continue. Choose wisely; the ink will not glow until both names are written and you cannot erase the name."

Hermione stared at the book not really knowing who to put. She knew she already had the blessing of her parents and she wanted to write down her mother but something didn't sit right with her. Draco however, did not hesitate and bent over the book to sign a name. He straightened back up when he was finished and handed her the quill.

Hesitantly, Hermione took the quill from his fingers and bent over, ready to write her mother's name down, but she stopped when she read the name Draco placed in the book.

 _'_ _Aquila Livia Parkinson-Malfoy …of course! Draco too knew his parents would give their blessing but writing Aquila's name, made the marriage blessing more…meaningful.'_

She smiled when she saw Aquila's name and quickly decided to change from her mother to someone she knew also deserved to have the honor.

Standing back up she proudly handed Kingsley the quill and took Draco's hand. Everyone in the room leaned in to read the names and wait to see the color the ink would glow with.

"Robert James Hoarse…fitting." Draco whispered as he slightly nudged her arm.

"I could say the same to you." she smiled before looking back down and watched, as both names glow blue.

"Excellent!" Kingsley announced clapping his hands together. "We will now move to the binding." He lifted the knife with care and handed it to Blaise.

Blaise carefully took the knife's handle and turned to Draco, who now was facing him. He lifted the knife and held it to Draco's out stretched left palm.

"Do you, Draco, accept the consequences of this knife? To bind you for life to your one true love; to love, cherish, and honor as long as you both shall live?" Blaise asked.

"I do."

Draco did not flinch as Blaise sliced the knife across his palm, in one quick motion. Blaise moved his hand over the chalice and held it until three drops of blood dripped from Draco's hand. Once it was done, Blaise pulled his hand back and pulled out his wand. He casted a silent charm and Draco's hand mended, like the cut never happened. He then passed the knife back to Kingsley.

Kingsley wiped the knife with a red cloth before handing it to Ginny, who in turn, followed the same steps Blaise took. Hermione lifted her left palm and Ginny touched the cool metal to her skin.

"Do you, Hermione, accept the consequences of this knife? To bind you for life to your one true love; to love, cherish, and honor as long as you both shall live?" she asked.

"I do."

Ginny sliced her palm but Hermione felt nothing. She then held her hand over the chalice and waited for three drops of blood to fall. Pulling her hand back once the drops fell, Ginny mended the cut before handing the knife back to Kingsley, who wiped it clean again. Kingsley set the knife down on the table and picked up a bottle of red wine from under the table.

Uncorking the bottle, he set the stopper down and held the wine over the cup.

 _"Duo corpora duo cordibus vestris" (Two bodies, with two hearts)_

He poured a small amount of the liquid into the cup.

 _"In atriis domus connecten" (Connecting together in unity)_

 _"Dum se coniungit; Corpus corde et anima," (Becoming one; Mind, Body, and Soul)_

 _"Semper tenetur maiores lumine" (Forever bound by the light of our ancestors)_

He filled the cup the rest of the way, set the bottle down, and reached out for Blaise and Ginny's hands. The pair then reached out their hands to hold the bride and groom. Draco grabbed Hermione's right hand in his, creating a small circle around the cup.

"Do you, Draco, promise to uphold your values in front of these witnesses? To care for your wife, regardless of health? To care for your wife, regardless of finance? To care for your wife regardless of blood?

"I promise."

"Do you, Hermione, promise to uphold your values in front of these witnesses? To care for your husband, regardless of health? To care for your husband, regardless of finance? To care for your husband, regardless of blood?"

"I promise."

 _Duo cordibus vestris, uno modo animam meam" (Two hearts, now one soul)_

The sapphires on the chalice glowed; blinding the room in bright blue light before quickly receding back to normal. The group released their hands and Kingsley held up the cup to Draco, who began to drink half of it. Pulling the chalice back, he wiped his chin with the back of his hand and handed it to Hermione.

She took the cup from his hand and held it to her lips. The finely aged wine tasted sweet on her lips as she lifted the cup and drank the other half.

Handing the cup back to the Minister for Magic, she turned to face her husband.

"You may now seal the bond with a kiss." Kingsley stated with pride.

Draco leaned down and kissed her gently. She felt a tingling sensation warm her whole body as he pulled her in closer to him. She felt like she could stay in that moment forever. His soft skin against hers felt so right; she never wanted to break away. But to her dismay, Draco pulled back from her and smiled.

"Congratulations, you two! You are both now officially married in the eyes of both laws." Kingsley claimed. "Now let's get you back to your reception so we can properly send you off." He smiled.

Ginny and Blaise hugged them both before exiting the room to head back to the party. Draco turned to leave with Hermione by his side when Kingsley stopped him.

"Before I forget." He began "I have the international port key you requested for your honeymoon, Mr. Malfoy."

Draco turned and took the medium size box in Kingsley's hand. He seemed almost confused at the size but shrugged it off and shrunk the package.

"Thanks Mr. Shacklebolt. I really appreciate it." he replied happily.

"Do not mention it. I was happy to make it. The object you selected was a rather odd choice but I have a feeling it holds more history for you. Enjoy your honeymoon…oh and Mrs. Malfoy, I was told by a Mr. Potter, that you are currently out of work at the moment? He stated that you have wanted to work for a while now but had other things holding you back. How would you feel starting over and working under me, as my apprentice?"

Hermione was blown away. She had always wanted to be Minister for Magic one day but she never thought that that dream would ever come. She didn't even think about work over the past few years due to her PTSD and other things. She wasn't ready then but she figured once she and Draco married that she could start work again. But now she is about to start a family so the timing, to her, made things difficult.

"But what about the baby?" She asked "I am due in December. Can I work from home at all?"

"Of course you can!" he touched a hand to her shoulder. "Anything for the brightest witch of her age and one I am more than proud of to teach. Even if that means we have to schedule meetings to fit your busy life. I would do anything to support your dreams, Mrs. Malfoy. You just say the word."

Her mouth fell slightly open and she looked to Draco who had a large half-smile on his face. He nodded his head and instantly she jumped up and down in joy and hugged Kingsley in acceptance.

He let out a laugh as he hugged her back before releasing her.

"Now let's get you back before people begin to worry the bride and groom and vanished."

She turned on her heels, still beaming in happiness, and walked out of the room.

 **X**

 **Sunday, May 6** **th** **, 2001 04:35pm**

The sendoff Draco had planned a few days ago, went by smoothly. Blaise and Ginny collected the wedding gifts and had them sent to his flat before they left. He had already packed their bags while Hermione was out dress shopping, earlier that morning, and had them shrunk to fit in his jacket pocket.

He was ready to claim his wife. Now all he needed to do was get her to their destination.

The couple waved as they said their goodbyes to their guests and stepped into a chariot, he had hired to take them down to the docks. The same dock where they boarded the Titanic on April 10th, 1912.

Once they reached the dock though, and stepped off of the chariot, Hermione just stood there. He expected her to at least say something. The memories they held when they boarded the ship flashed through his mind a hundred times, but she just looked at the now empty port, with an impassive expression.

Now would have been a good time for him to be able to feel her emotion but he knew, that that would not come until they consummated their marriage. After that was done, then they could feel what the other was feeling when their emotions reached a certain high.

He looked at her while she slowly began walking up to the port; trailing just a few feet away. She bent down still in her wedding dress and touched the edge of the cement. Standing up, she took a few steps back as she looked up at the ghost ship as if she was looking at the real thing.

"It was beautiful." She muttered in almost a whisper.

Draco took a few steps to close the gap between them and wrapped his arms around her from behind.

"You're beautiful." He whispered in her ear.

She let off a faint smile when she reached her hands up to hold his arms but continued to look up at where the Titanic once stood, in all its former glory.

"The memories are so vivid but there are times…I sometimes forget what Dimitra, Robert, and Aquila look like…I don't want to forget their faces Draco; Cygnus too…I want to remember them always. I want to remember that ship."

"You will. And you will never forget what they look like; we have the pictures of them… We have the pictures of all of us…together."

She let out a light sigh as they both continued to look at the empty port. After a few moments, Hermione shivered and Draco knew it was time to go. He pulled away from her and brought out the white box Kingsley had given him earlier, from his pocket and enlarged it.

Hermione leaned over slightly to see what the port key was when he lifted the lid and let out a light gasp when she saw the fountain pen they used to travel back to their original time. But what Draco wasn't expecting, was a note with a small white paper lying under it. He carefully maneuvered the pen with the cloth it rested on, careful not to touch the item without Hermione, and lifted the note up.

"What does it say?" Hermione asked when his mouth hung open.

"It…it says," he began

 _" **Dearest Malfoy's,**_

 _ **I apologize if this is unexpected and brings back too many memories. It was not easy to obtain, but I found this picture, after searching for weeks, in a muggle museum in America. I do not know, how you will react to it, but I do hope that it brings you wonderful memories as you stand on Berth 44. This picture is my wedding gift to you. It has been charmed to move like wizarding pictures, since it was taken by a muggle. Please enjoy.**_

 _ **Sincerely,**_

 _ **Minister for Magic**_

 _ **Kingsley Shacklebolt"**_

"What is the picture?" Hermione asked now fully intrigued.

Draco placed the note in his pocket and reached in to grab the picture from under the pen. He held it up so that they could both see and turned it over.

Hermione inhaled quickly as Draco smiled with happiness. The picture was an original black and white photo of the Titanic as she sat in Berth 44, before her departure to New York. The large crowd, he remembered so well, stood on the dock waving to the people on the ship as they said their goodbyes.

 _'Their final goodbyes.'_

He couldn't believe they had another picture to hold on to. But this one, brought a tear to his eye; a tear of sadness and joy. They finally held a picture, of the actual ship, that helped them fall in love. And better yet, it was a moving picture that made everything feel more real.

Hermione rested her head on his shoulder as they took a minute, to reminisce in the memories.

"This," Hermione began "is the best day of my life." she looked up at him and smiled.

"Mine too…Would you like to make it even better?" he asked placing the picture gently back in the box and turned to her.

Nodding her head with a smile, he removed the clothed pen and placed the lid back on the box before shrinking it and putting it in his pocket. He then unwrapped the cloth and held her hand in his right. She raised and arm and slowly touched the pen. Instantly they were transported to a warm tropical location with a temperature of eighty degrees Fahrenheit.

 **Sunday, May 6** **th** **, 2001 07:02am**

Hermione was confused at the location Draco had taken her for their honeymoon. She wasn't complaining though; the view was beautiful and the air was warm. The lagoon was clear blue and she could see the fish as they swam through the water. Green mountains over looked the lagoon and the sun looked to be rising instead of setting. She knew then, that they were somewhere pretty far away.

 _'But where?'_

Draco took her hand and began walking her down the deserted road. He ignored her questions as to where he had taken her, so she took in the view of the tropical place as the sun climbed higher in the sky. After about thirty minutes of walking, they both decided to remove their shoes before continuing. Draco stopped when they came to a very long wooden pathway that led out into the water about fifteen minutes later.

She wasn't paying attention, due to looking at the scenery around her, trying to find any clues as to where they were, and bumped right into him. He turned to her and smiled before looking back. She followed his gaze and her mouth suddenly fell open and she dropped her flats.

There in front of her, were about twenty overwater bungalows. She took a step forward as the location began to sink in.

"Bora Bora?...We are honeymooning in freaking Bora Bora!" she squealed in delight.

"We are." He grinned "And we are staying in the VIP hut on the end." He added.

"Oh my god, Draco; this is amazing! I always dreamed of coming here one day but it's so expensive." She exclaimed excitingly.

"I know, but we can afford it and Weasley was the one who actually told me you always wanted to visit."

"We? I can't afford this." She claimed stepping forward to look over the wooden railing at the crystal clear water below.

"You are a Malfoy now Hermione. My money is your money and WE, can definitely afford to go anywhere we want to." He explained as he wrapped his arms around her waist. "Now, Mrs. Malfoy, I already checked us in before the wedding; so, let's get you changed." He kissed her neck and pulled back.

He picked up her shoes and stretched out his hand for her to take before they began walking down the long path. She eyed each and every bungalow they passed with excitement. She took noticed, that the further they went, the more expensive looking the insides were and the further way they stood from each other.

Once they reached the end of the path, she looked up and saw a single standing, very large, light brown, bungalow that was at least a good half a mile away from the rest. It was two stories and very open. A deck could be seen off to the side, with a ladder that hung off the wood and into the lagoon.

She jumped in joy and ran to the hut. She took in everything as she began to look around. The kitchen was huge and consisted of all the latest appliances. A large tiki like island with a sink in the center, sat in front of the counters, refrigerator and oven. She touched once of the stools with no back, as she walked through the kitchen and out to the attached deck.

The deck was enormous and held a swing that was the size of a full bed. Its white fabric and multiple red pillows gave the luxury bungalow that tropical island feel. A fire pit sat in the center a few feet away from ladder she saw moments ago.

She turned around with her hands to her lips with a large smile plastered on her face. Draco stood in the doorway with his tie undone, lying around his neck, and leaning against the frame of the entrance.

"Bedroom is that way if you want to see." He pointed behind him with his thumb.

Hermione nodded her head still beaming, lifted her dress, and began walking quickly down the narrow hall. None of the rooms, except the bathroom had a door as she passed by, eager to see the master suite on the other end of the hut.

She placed a hand on the frame as she slowly turned into the room. Her mouth dropped open as she looked at the large, under the sea, looking room. A giant, fluffy, white, king size bed with a light brown wooded frame stood directly in the center of the room, away from the wall. It faced a fairly large open archway with another deck that contained white, flowing, curtains that blew in the breeze as she stepped fully into the room.

The wooden floor below her changed texture as she walked, so she looked down and realized she was standing on glass; glass that showed inside of the lagoon. Tropical fish she never thought she would see in real life swam under her feet and she quickly knelt down to watch the tranquil scenery below her.

Draco took off his jacket and began pulling out their luggage; resizing it and setting it next to the dresser. Once he was done, Hermione stood up and walked out on the deck that attached to the bedroom. She felt Draco place his hands on her hips as she looked out into the vast blue lagoon.

He began kissing her ear and trailing small pecks down the left side of her neck. She shivered at the touch and moved her head to touch his. He lifted slightly and left a long lingering kiss on her lips.

Pulling back just enough to move his lips back to her ear, he whispered.

"Let's get you out of this dress, shall we?"

She could feel his smile on her skin as she felt his fingers trail down her back until they reached the top of the zipper. Her body let off goosebumps when he went back to kissing her neck, all while slowly pulling the zipper to her dress, down.

She felt the dress loosen while the zipper released the corset from her body. She turned around and wrapped her arms around his neck, placing her lips on his. He lifted a hand to cup her face and deepened the kiss more. His tongue gently eased into her mouth and she tasted the familiar taste, she had been craving all day.

He moved her to stand in front of the bed before breaking the kiss. Bending down, he lifted her dress over her head, setting it delicately to the side and pulled down the underskirt. Resting her hands on his shoulders, she lifted each leg and stepped out, leaving her in only her white undergarments. He quickly stood back up and connected his lips to hers again.

She began unbuttoning his dress shirt all the way as he unhooked her bra. Laying her on the bed he pulled back and removed both his dress shirt and undershirt. He began undoing his belt when she sat up and stopped him. He looked confused for a moment but quickly smiled when she began unclasping the buckle and unbuttoning his trousers.

She pulled his pants and his boxers down in one easy motion, releasing his hard dick. Hermione looked up at him as she touched his dick with her hand. Slowly lowering her head she began taking him into her mouth.

She heard him let out a soft moan as his hands moved to rest on her hair. She flicked her tongue on the tip when she pulled back before bobbing her head up and down. He let out a hiss in pleasure has his fingers tangled in her hair. She made a popping noise with her mouth as she released his dick from her mouth. She was about to take him in again but he pulled her head back and kissed her hard.

He broke the kiss and pushed her back onto the bed. She let out a giggle at the movement and began lifting her feet to help move her up the bed. Draco however, bent down, removed her panties and lifted her legs over his broad shoulders. She didn't even have time to lift her head to look at him before she felt his warm wet tongue lick her freshly aroused pussy. She let off a soft moan as she ran a hand through her hair. She felt the butterfly clip and quickly removed it; throwing it to the side. She continued to run her fingers through her hair as her other hand rested on Draco's head.

The things he could do with his mouth amazed her but she wanted more. She needed more.

"Fuck me Draco." She breathed out through a moan.

He lifted his head and smirked at her with her juices dripping down his chin.

"My pleasure, love." He replied flicking his eyebrows and wiping his mouth with the palm of his hand.

Draco stood up and crawled on top of her. He caressed his fingers on her face as he placed his other hand between her legs. He inserted a finger and began flicking it before he inserted a second one to loosen her up; his eyes never leaving hers. He leaned down and kissed her as he removed his fingers and placed his hand on his hard member.

Gliding the tip of his dick at her opening, teasing her; he slowly began pushing into her. She moaned into his mouth while his fingers played with her clit. Backing out slowly, he pushed more into her while he broke away from her lips to begin leaving a trail of peaks along her jaw. She lifted her hands and started running her nails, lightly, down his ribs while wrapping her legs around his waist. He let out a low growl which turned her on more. Lifting her hips into him once he was all the way in her, Hermione opened her eyes to look at him.

She expected to see her handsome husband as he stopped kissing her neck; what she didn't except to see, was Draco with a silver glowing light illuminating around him.

"Draco? Draco you're glowing!" she slightly panicked as she pushed his chest up.

"So are you." he smiled and leaned back down to kiss her.

She pushed her hands on his chest to stop him.

"No, I mean you are actually glowing! You have a silver light around you!"

He let out a chuckled and shook his head.

"I know." he stated nonchalantly and she tilted her head in confusion "It happens when you consummate a magical marriage. The glow seals the bond. We will now be able to feel each other."

"Oh…wait am I glowing?" she asked lifting an arm to look.

"You can't see your own glow." He chuckled again "Only your significant other can; but yes, you are glowing. A beautiful gold I might add."

"Really?" she asked sweetly.

"Yes really…now can I get back to pleasuring you?" he half-smiled.

She let out a giggle as he leaned back down and kissed her again. He began moving his hips and she instantly started scratching at his back. He lifted his chest off her while he continued to thrust into her gently. She reached around his neck and couldn't help but be fascinated at how sexy he looked with the silver glow around him. To her, he looked like an angel. She cupped his cheek and his head instinctively leaned into her hand.

Pulling him back down, she kissed him again but to his surprise, she flipped their position.

Now straddling him he looked up at her in complete shock. She bent down and licked the lobe of his ear.

"It's my turn to pleasure you." she whispered seductively.

Sitting back up she re-positioned herself to sit comfortably on top of him. She had never tried the position before but she already loved how much deeper he felt inside her. Leaning her hands on his chest she began to rock her hips back and forth. He threw his head back slightly and his eyes closed as he rested his hands on her hips.

Hermione didn't really know what she was doing but she had heard enough stories from Ginny to get the idea of what to do. So she continued to rock her hips as her clit grinded against his soft skin. The pleasure was intense and she was in absolute heaven. Leaning forward a little, she lifted off of him slightly before lowering her hips back down. His eyes snapped opened at the movement and looked down at his dick inside her. She did the same and realized just how much it turned her on to see him fuck her. She began to bounce up and down more and revealed in the pleasure. Her breathing got heavier, as did his, and her moaning grew louder.

The soft breeze from outside, hit her skin and added to the euphoria she was feeling. However, being on top the bouncing began to take a toll on her legs, so she moved her body back to grinding on him. Draco didn't seem upset at the change; instead he placed his hands on her hips and helped to pull her in at each thrust she made.

The sudden pulling made the tingle on her clit grow and she could not hold it back. The sensation was different from the orgasms she had through penetration and it was also just as good. Her juices didn't flow out like normal but she felt herself becoming very wet as she cried out his name in pure bliss. He let her ride out the climax as she lowered her head to in his neck but still moved her hips lightly. Her breathing was heavy but she didn't care. She had just had an amazing orgasm.

Once her breathing calmed down slightly, she lifted her head to look at her husband. He lowered her head to his and kissed her before he rolled her back over. Lifting her right leg he began thrusting into her. After her last orgasm, her clit was still sensitive and each pump he did, brushed against her, building up her next release.

He began to thrust harder and faster and the beads of sweat glistened as it dripped off his glowing body. She suddenly felt deep desire for Draco; just looking at him, made her heart melt, and her chest tingle. She knew then, she was beginning to feel what he felt; pure and undoubting love. She had already knew she was in love with him but to feel how much he loved her, made her whole body warm with happiness.

But the trusting of his hips into her overly wet pussy, took her attention away as she felt her climax grow beyond her control. The deepness of his cock inside her, hitting just the right spot over and over again became too much. She threw her head back and he let out a deep moan; spilling himself into her. They both moaned louder than normal as they felt each other's happiness spread over them. The sensation she felt in her lower region felt like it could last for hours. It was nothing like she ever felt before and she absolutely love it. Her nails dug into his skin as her liquid poured out of her and onto the unsuspecting white sheets.

The grip of his hand on her leg, tightened, as Draco released his sperm into her. He lowered his head as he tried to get his breathing under control. And Hermione couldn't help but want to hold him and never let go.

If either of them was paying attention, they would have both noticed the room light up in a mix of silver and gold as they climaxed together, permanently sealing the bond. But both of their eyes were closed as they breathed deeply into one another.

Draco pulled out of her and rolled on to his back. They both just laid there looking at the straw of the ceiling as the breeze washed over their heated bodies.

"I…take back…what I said before…we…traveled back to this year." Hermione panted.

Draco turned his head to look at her with a perplexed expression. She turned her head to face him and she began to giggle.

"THAT…was the best sex I have ever had." She laughed.

He smiled at her before chuckling and leaned in to kiss her.

"I love you Mrs. Malfoy." He stated proudly as he pulled away.

"I love you too Mr. Malfoy." She smiled

Still reveling in euphoria, they both laid on the bed as they recuperated from their sex session. However, Hermione still felt aroused.

"It wouldn't be a honeymoon...if we didn't consummated the marriage…all over the place." She turned her head and winked at him.

"Why Mrs. Malfoy? You are already ready for round two?"

She sat up and smirked at him.

"Only if you can catch me Mr. Malfoy." She winked before quickly getting off the bed and running naked down the hall.

She could hear Draco laugh as he began chasing after her. Never in her life had she felt more happy then she did in that moment. She had found the man of her dreams and she promised herself right then; she would never let him go.

 _'Her husband. The love of her life...Draco Malfoy.'_


	41. Chapter 41-The Gift That Keeps On Giving

Chapter 41- The Gift That Keeps On Giving

 **Seven Months Later**

 **Tuesday December 25** **th** **, 2001 01:33pm**

Christmas at the Burrow, was not something Draco had ever thought he would attend; let alone his parents attend as well. He was used to the small gathering between himself and his parents on Christmas day; that, or the large extravagant parties his mother like to hold in the Great Hall of Malfoy Manor. However, the atmosphere of the large family gathering made him feel comfort. He enjoyed the warm chaos surrounding him. It felt like what a home, should feel like.

Over the past seven months, Draco and Hermione learned the difference of each tingle when the other showed an emotion. It was a rough ride with Draco's emotions being tenfold to hers, and her pregnancy hormones making her feelings flip flop all over the place; but they managed to figure it out.

He and Mr. Greengrass had also developed a new line of muggle technology like Hermione had suggested all those months ago. Malfoy Incorporation, expanded and grew, much more than he had expected. Apparently, cell phones and televisions being charmed to work in the wizarding world, was something every magical being wanted and needed. It was faster to spread news through the community and talk to one another instantly, without waiting for days for a reply.

Owls were still used though, for most post and in Hogwarts, where cell phones where not permitted. But televisions became most popular after July of that year, when places like the Daily Prophet, began creating their own news channels for the magical world.

Unfortunately, the news that broadcasted around the entire world, only a few months after their wedding, on September 11th, 2001; was a day Draco and his friends would remember for the rest of their lives as they stood in front of the television in his flat.

He was happy he didn't have to experience the terror attack that happened to the World Trade Centers in Lower Manhattan, New York City. Surviving a sinking ship was one thing. Surviving two towers collapsing after being hit by full passenger planes, was another. After that day, he made sure the stones were far apart from each other. He had one sent to South America and the other hidden in Russia somewhere. He didn't want his child or anyone else to be thrown back in time, to have that day, be their trial.

Malfoy Inc. had sent previsions and staff to help with the aftermath, especially for the magical community affected by the attack. It had led his company to be seen by the world and people from different countries, started investing in him. It wasn't what he wanted. He just wanted to help. So, he created a few charities, similar to the Red Cross, to help out in any and all disasters around the world.

Today though, was not a day for remembering sadness; it was a day for joy. Draco stood up from the couch he was sitting on in the middle of the crowded living room. Molly Weasley was hectically running around trying to get food and drinks together and looked to need some help. His mother was setting up a table with appetizers as his father, surprisingly, was talking and laughing with Arthur Weasley.

Draco walked to the kitchen where Molly was struggling to balance glasses on a tray.

"Here." He stated reaching in and taking the tray from her and setting it on the counter.

"Oh, bless your heart, dear. Thank you." she replied as she took in a breath.

"It's no problem at all, Mrs. Weasley. I am happy to help." He smiled "Would you mind if I helped you in here? Hermione is upstairs with Ginny looking at baby clothes since they are both expecting and I kind of still feel a little out of place with everyone in there." he looked to the room where Harry, Ron, George, and the rest of the Weasley clan stood talking with their significant others.

Molly let off a frown as he placed his hands in his pockets.

"Draco dear, they accept you, you know?"

"I know…I just…can I help you in here, please?"

"Are you okay?" she asked wiping her hands on a dish towel.

"Yeah." He shrugged.

"You're lying. I am a mother of six…five, boys;" her face saddened and she lowered her head but quickly perked back up and looked at him. "I know when a male is lying…You can talk to me."

Draco let out a sigh as he leaned back on the counter.

"I just…Only Potter really understand what I am going through and he's busy right now. I don't want to interrupt him."

"You're worried." It was more of a statement then a question "Are you still having nightmares?" she asked while removing the glasses from the tray and placing them in the sink before charming the dishes to clean themselves.

"No." he replied letting out a breath "But what if I get a nightmare while rocking my child to sleep and I fall asleep with them? What if I hurt my child or even Hermione because of my emotions?"

"That my dear boy, is just called being a parent." She smiled turning to face him and leaned back on the counter near the sink. "Every new parent is scared when it comes to their child. Trust me, when I had Bill, I basically lost my mind. I charmed everything in the house with cushions making it hard for anyone to get around. I even went as far to think the air he was breathing was going to kill him in some way." she chuckled "You have learned to control your emotional magic and you are not having nightmares anymore. You are worrying…because you are a father and that is what fathers do."

He looked at Molly the whole time she spoke. Every word she was saying made sense to him and calmed him slightly.

"Do you want to know my opinion?" she continued as she began wiping the counter.

He nodded his head like he was child looking for help.

"I think…that you are going to make a great father, and you have plenty of people who can and will help you every step of the way. You are not alone in this Draco. You never will be." She smiled her famous mother smile she was so famous for.

"Thank you Mrs. Weasley…I really needed to hear that." he half- smiled.

"Oh come here!" she exclaimed waving her arms to give him a hug.

He leaned into her and instantly felt safe; like all his worries just melted away.

' _If she can raise seven children, then he can certainly handle one.'_

"Mum, are the cookies ready yet?" Ron shouted from the living room.

Molly scuffed and shook her head.

"Boys!" she chuckled and picked up a large tray of various cookies.

"I can take them." Draco offered.

"That would be lovely dear, thank you."

He smiled before taking the tray and began walking over to the group that was laughing at a joke George just told.

"Hey Malfoy!" George exclaimed "Where have you been hiding at? You missed a great joke mate."

"Please don't repeat it again." Angelina chuckled. "I am sure Malfoy does not want to hear it."

"Hear what?" Draco asked with interest.

"My fiancé here, thinks that it's is funny to joke about the time you were turned into a ferret by fake Professor Moody." She nudge George as if she wanted to be mad while the rest of the group looked at Draco in worry; waiting to see his reaction.

"Oh," Draco began "Well…I'm a little upset it's not my animagus form. It would be good animal to get into tight spaces." he chuckled slightly in embarrassment when everyone just looked at him in shock.

Draco had realized when he first started dating Hermione, that it was good to sometimes laugh at himself. It meant that others couldn't use it against him and it made him feel less angry at the world. It had been years since that awful transformation, but looking back on it now, he could see how it would be funny.

"Bloody hell! I didn't even think about that!" George claimed slapping a hand to his forehead and everyone began to relax.

"You could probably make a toffee or something to turn people into small animals temporarily, for your joke shop." Draco suggested. "I mean you already have the extendable ears; why not add small rodents or something too?" He shrugged.

George looked at Draco like he had sprung flowers from his ears.

"You Malfoy, are a bloody genius…Come, walk with me, let's talk business." George stated with mischief in his smile and wrapped an arm around Draco.

"At least leave the cookies!" Ron called out as they walked away.

Draco turned back around with a friendly smirk and set the tray down on the table before turning back to George. But as he took a few steps forward, he suddenly got a panic tingle in his chest.

It was light at first and he shrugged it off to Hermione worrying about the baby again; but the tingle suddenly got stronger. It was strong enough to make him hunch over and grab the back of a chair for support.

"Whoa, you okay Malfoy?" George asked resting a hand on his back and leaned over to look at him.

Draco tried to nod his head yes, but as the tingle grew, the harder it was for him to breathe. He began to fall over but George caught him and eased him to the floor. The rest of the room got quiet and looked at him with worry as they began to crowd around him.

"Draco!" Narcissa called out, rushing over to him. "Draco what's wrong son? What is it?"

"I…I don't know. Something is wrong with Hermione. She is panicking…I need to get to her."

Ron and Harry's eyes widen and they began to rush to stairs to check on her; but they were stopped by a very wide eyed, six month pregnant, Ginny.

"We need to get to St. Mungo's!" she exclaimed breathing heavy "Hermione's water broke!"

"What?" Everyone in the room said at once as their eyes snapped to the stairs.

Draco began to panic on the floor as he looked up at the red head in shock. He thought he was ready for this day but now that the day had come; he was far from it.

He rushed to stand up, with the help of George and ran to the stairs. Ginny began to run back up with Draco following close behind. He still felt a now light, tingling in his chest when he burst through the door to see Hermione sitting on Ginny's bed in a soft blue dress and a puddle of water on the floor below her.

He looked her up and down before moving quickly to her side. Harry and Ron ran into the room with panic stricken faces, to help carry Hermione down the stairs and into the floo. Harry grabbed her right arm as Draco grabbed her left and began to lift her.

She let out a loud cry as a contraction hit her hard and almost fell to the floor. Draco and Harry caught her and started walking her to the door, as Hermione held on to her belly. Ron ran out of the room and down the hall, only to come back a few seconds later, with a cold wet cloth. He began patting Hermione's forehead and neck as they slowly walked down out of the room.

Hermione let out another painful cry and held her stomach and she hunched over when they were about a quarter of the way from the stairs.

"Something is not right." Ginny exclaimed.

Draco's head snapped back to her in fear and panic.

"What do you mean something is not right?" he demanded "You can't just say that when my wife is going into labor!"

"I'm sorry Draco, but her contractions, they shouldn't be that close together! We don't have time to get her to the hospital; that baby is coming sooner rather than later!"

Draco's' eyes widened and he looked down at his bent over wife, who was now trying to breathe, before looking up at Harry.

"We either need to get her down stairs to the living room or we need to get her back into the bedroom, which is now further away." Harry suggested.

"Living room is closer." Ron chimed in "Come on, it's only a few steps."

The group began to descend the stairs as the people, already below them, hustled around getting things ready for the trip to the hospital.

"Change of plans!" Ginny called out from behind Hermione, halfway down the stairs.

Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked up at her in confusion.

"Baby is coming now. We don't have time to floo. We need pillows and blankets and clean water!" she commanded.

"Ze baby, come now?" Fleur asked smiling as everyone around her began creating a makeshift bed on the floor in front of the couch. "Oh zis is so exciting!" she clapped her hands and began walking towards Hermione. "Come, I will 'elp you." she waved her hand, motioning them to follow her.

Draco raised a brow, wondering just how much Fleur Delacour-Weasley actually knew about delivering babies; but, they followed her anyway.

Harry and Draco helped sit Hermione down on the fort of blankets and pillows and leaned her back against the couch. She was already sweating and breathing heavily as another contraction hit her.

"Ze men must leave ze room please." Fleur stated as she motioned the men out of the room. "Zat includes you as well." She pointed her head at Harry, Ron and Draco.

They stood to leave but Hermione reached out her hand and grabbed Draco's sleeve.

"Draco…" she muttered quietly.

Draco looked at his wife's pleading eyes and instantly went back to her side. He wasn't going to leave her; not when she needed him the most right now. He removed his jacket and set it on the couch. Rolling up his sleeves, he held on to her left hand with both of his and kissed her temple.

"Right." Mrs. Weasley began as she marched into the room with two buckets of water and a stack of towels hovering behind her. "I have called for Healer Francis but I am afraid he probably won't make it here in time. He is in another country on holiday and is trying to get a port key back. So, Ginny, Angelina, you each hold up a leg; Draco I need you to get behind Hermione. Narcissa, take this rag and begin blotting Hermione's neck and chest; keep her cool. Quickly now!" She ordered setting the buckets down.

The group maneuvered around to place themselves where Molly had told them to go. Molly held Hermione's right hand in hers as Narcissa began blotting her head and neck. Draco held on to her left hand and she leaned back onto him.

"You got this little cub." He whispered with comfort in her ear and kissed her head. "Just breathe."

She nodded her head as she inhaled through her noise and slowly out through her mouth. But another contraction hit and she yelled out.

"You are almost zere 'ermione. I need you to push." Fleur stated rather calmly, as she washed her hands in one of the buckets.

"Hermione shook her head no as the sweat dribbled down her face. Fleur looked at her worryingly with a frown.

"You 'ave to push."

"I can't." Hermione stated through her breaths "It' hurts." She cried.

Fleur looked up to Draco and he knew he had to do something. He leaned down and kissed Hermione's ear before he began to whisper.

"You need to push Hermione. Come on, love. Push for me."

She shook her head again and looked at Fleur ; pleading with her to make the pain go away.

"I know it hurts little one, but our baby needs you to do this. You have to push, okay? Squeeze my hand; I don't care if you have to break it just do what you need to, okay? I am right here…I have you; I promise. I am right here with you." he whispered softly to her.

She nodded her head in acceptance and let out a scream as she began to push. Ginny and Angelina had to reposition themselves to hold Hermione's legs up when she pushed against them and Draco had to hold back a wince as she squeezed the ever loving life, out of his hand.

But he didn't care. He would do whatever it took to keep his wife comfortable. Even fight through the pain of a few broken fingers.

After about an hour of pushing; Hermione seemed to have given up. The atmosphere in the room was riddled with fear and Hermione was drenched in sweat; breathing heavily as her head rested on Draco's neck.

The head of their baby was out but a shoulder appeared to be stuck, and all the pushing she was doing, was getting them nowhere. They needed to act fast; so Fleur, who apparently was trained to be a midwife, switched places with Molly and started pressing on Hermione's belly, just above her pelvic bone.

"Push 'ermione!" she called out.

Draco watched with worry as she pressed firmly down before looking back at the baby.

She pushed again and Draco's mind began to swim in panic when Fleur's face fell as she looked back again.

"Again…Push!" she exclaimed as she tried pressing above Hermione's pelvis, one more time.

Hermione let out a cry as she tried to push as hard as she could. Their baby popped out from the stuck position and into Molly's ready hands. Molly quickly grabbed a towel and began covering the child before grabbing her wand and spelling the fluids away from its mouth and nose. However, no noise came from the tiny infant in her arms.

"Why is there no crying? Why is my baby not crying?" Hermione asked frantically.

Draco began shushing her calmly and rocked her back and forth; trying to sooth not only his wife, but himself as well.

The room was quiet as Fleur took the baby from Molly's arms and covered its mouth and noise with hers. She let out a few breaths but the child did not move. She tried again and again, but still, nothing.

A single tear began to trickle down Draco's cheek as everyone watched the scene unfold.

A light whimper was suddenly heard before a full out cry of an infant echoed in the room. Everyone let out the breaths they were holding as Fleur smiled brightly at the two happy parents.

"Congratulations!" She exclaimed "It's a boy!"

The room erupted in cheers as Fleur handed their baby over to Hermione's outstretched hands.

Draco looked down at his son with joy not only on his face, but in his heart as well.

"We have a Christmas baby." Hermione stated proudly with a wide smile as she gently touched the noise of their son.

"Merry Christmas, Hermione." Draco whispered with a smile in her ear.

"We still have to get ze placenta out but in ze mean time," She held up a pair of muggle surgical scissors "Draco, would you like to do ze honor?"

He took the scissors in his hand but was unsure of what he was supposed to do. He turned the shears in his fingers with confusion and looked up at Molly.

"You are supposed to cut the cord, dear." She smiled.

"Oh." He chuckled.

Fleur had already pitched the cord and showed him where to cut. He snipped the cord and instantly felt excitement fill his chest. His own thrill, mixed with Hermione's.

He handed the shears back to Fleur when Healer Francis floo'd into the room.

"I am so sorry I am lat-oh goodness me!" he placed a hand on his chest when he saw the group of women, plus Draco, huddled around the baby in Hermione's arms. "Would you look at that!" he smiled kindly.

He stepped forward and Molly moved out of the way so he could check Hermione over.

"So," he began setting his bag down, putting on some gloves, and kneeling to the floor. "I am just going to check you over and see how everything went. I am to assume you had a midwife on call?"

"Well," Hermione began still grinning from ear to ear "Fleur apparently was trained and helped deliver our baby. I guess you could say she was on call." She looked proudly up at Fleur, who looked like she was about to start crying with happiness.

"Good, good. I would like to talk with you afterwards to get the full details." He stated as he began looking Hermione over. "…It looks like you still need to deliver the placenta but we can do that in a few minutes. Then I want to get you St. Mungo's to have you and your baby properly looked over."

"Okay." Hermione stated sweetly.

"How long will they both be there?" Draco asked finally looking away from his newborn son.

"Oh, I'd say about…two hours, tops. As long as everything checks out okay; but everything so far to me looks good." He smiled at him. "So, have you guys thought of a name yet?" he asked raising a brow with interest.

Hermione looked up to Draco who looked down on her and kissed her forehead.

"We haven't decided yet. We were waiting to until the baby was born before we picked. But I was thinkin-"

"Scorpius." Hermione quickly cut in.

Draco looked at his wife in shock and confusion.

' _She told him she hated that name only a few weeks ago. Why did she all of sudden change her mind?'_

"Love, you said-"

"I know what I said, but you absolutely love the name and it is tradition to have the Malfoy children named after constellations…" She cut in again "You were there for me Draco, when I needed you the most. You didn't have to stay but you did, and you helped me through the whole thing. You didn't back out when you found out I was pregnant and you stayed with me the whole time. You even planned a whole wedding that catered to everything I ever dreamed of and I never thanked you for it…I want you to have everything you ever wanted as well. I want to name our child Scorpius and I want to give him the full name you picked out. It is the least I could do for you. Plus I have grown to actually like the name."

"Hermione you don't have to do that for me. You and our child…you are both enough to make me the happiest man in the world. I don't need a name to make me happy."

"I want to do it because I love you." she smiled up at him.

He paused for a moment, looking over his wife to make sure that she was absolutely certain. When she gave no doubt that the decision she made was one she really wanted, he kissed her wet forehead.

"Scorpius?" he asked again with a smile growing on his face.

She nodded her head and bit her bottom lip before replying to him.

"Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy."

* * *

 **This is the last chapter before the epilogue guys! I am happy and sad at the same time that this story is coming to an end. You have all given me so much hope in writing, just by reading, commenting, and liking this story. I want to thank you all for keeping up with me and taking the time out of your day to entertain my first Fanfiction. I can't even begin to tell you how much you all mean to me.**


	42. Chapter 42- Home (Epilogue)

Chapter 42- Home

 **Epilogue**

 **Monday June 5** **th** **, 2006**

Today is the day of Draco's twenty-sixth birthday. He was never one to be happy about his birthday. Mainly because his parents just spoiled him in the latest things but never really spoiled him with the attention he actually wanted. But he had his own family now, and Hermione did everything possible to make sure his birthday was not only special but she made sure he also felt wanted and needed.

Since they had been married, five years ago, Hermione had always thrown a party for him. At first it was just the two of them. Then it was just her, Scorpius, and himself, before it became a large gathering of their closest friends and family.

After Scorpius turned two, they had moved into a large suburban white house, with a ton of huge windows, that not only was she happy about, but he felt comfortable with as well. He was accustom to large mansions and living spaces, but Hermione unfortunately, was not. So, they settled for a three thousand square foot house in Southampton, instead of the five thousand square foot glass one he wanted.

However he couldn't complain. The backyard alone was almost the size of the house and throwing any get together, was made easier. The Potters two kids, along with George's son and Bill's, loved to play in the yard with Scorpius. Today was no exception.

Everyone who was invited was getting married and having children in some way or another and that included Ronald Weasley. He had gotten together with surprisingly, Astoria Greengrass. And they were expecting their first child in October.

Neville and Luna however, never really hit it off and went their separate way, but still remained friends. Luna was actually engaged to Blaise now, which was a shock at first to all of their friends. And Neville started dating a muggle girl he met a few years ago, named Cindy and man, was she smart.

Hermione and Cindy at first didn't like each other. Hermione was always known as the smartest of the group and when Cindy came along, it became a battle of who was smarter. Although, now they have become friends and Hermione, she still held the title of the smartest witch of their age due to Cindy only being a muggle.

Theo was still single but ready to mingle. He had had his fair share of girlfriends over the years but none of them wanted to take the relationship to the next step and Theo was more than ready settle down. Draco just hoped he would find that special girl one day soon. Single Theo, was beginning to drive him mad.

Draco still didn't know much about Percy or Charlie Weasley, seeing as they only ever show up for a few hours during the holidays before having to suddenly leave for something important with work.

His parents though, along with Hermione's, absolutely fond and spoiled their grandchild with love, toys, and sweets. Even Molly and Arthur Weasley spoiled Scorpius like he was their own grandchild. Draco thought his child was the lucky kid in the world; having three separate families to call his own. However, he could now say the same about himself.

Draco looked up at the three large pictures handing on the wall in hallway by the open kitchen. One thing both he and his wife made sure to never change during the transition of becoming a family, was the pictures that held the memory of their late loved ones. The very people, that helped them both, more than they could ever know.

They had enlarged the moving picture of the Titanic to practically take up the whole white wall with the other two framed photos on either side of it.

Cindy thought they dressed up for one of those Old Time Photo recreations, muggles like to do, and was a little shocked that the ship and the crowd moved when she first saw it. But she passed it off as some kind of mechanical thing. Draco still didn't understand what she was talking about when she tried to explain how it worked. He knew how the pictured moved but no one was ready to tell Cindy about magic until Neville was certain he was going to marry her. So, naturally almost every event she was invited to, had to be non-magical. Wands were checked at the door and were not handed back until the guest was about to leave.

But, it did help everyone learn to function without magic. Hermione's parents had taught them all a lot about how muggles do things. Only Harry and Hermione, of course, already knew. But Blaise and George fell madly in love when they learned about, what American's call soccer, and how to man a barbeque grill.

To everyone surprise, they had learned quickly and became exceptionally good at grilling. Mr. Granger and Blaise were only in charge anymore though. George had taken it upon himself one day, three years ago, to try and charm the thing to cook his burger faster and well, we can all assume how that turned out. He had managed to set the blasted thing ablaze and Hermione had to douse the flames with an Aguamenti spell. Harry Potter had to clean up the mess and Obliviate Cindy since she was present at the time. Mr. Granger banned him from ever touching any grill again, unless he was present to supervise and that, is basically how every party from then on, became non-magical.

Also three years ago, Hermione had become Minister for Magic and Draco was never more proud of her accomplishment. Her life had become busy though with her duties in the government and his at Malfoy Inc. but they did their best to make sure they still saw each other and stayed happily married. Every day though, they fell more in love with one another.

Draco would shower her with red roses and treated her to a home cooked meal, without magic, every night for dinner. She in turn, always had a pot of coffee and full breakfast waiting for him every morning. They would come home for lunch to spend time with their son, giving the nanny a break for an hour every day.

Life in the Malfoy household was amazing. It was something Draco had never dreamed of happening to him and he had not only the stones to thank, but Aquila and Cygnus Malfoy as well. If it wasn't for them rewriting their Will to allow him to marry Hermione, then he would be unhappily married to Astoria and possibly end up having a long time affair with his now wife.

He also had to thank White Star Line, for creating the magnificent ship that help him realize what he had been missing in his life. The Titanic was more than just a luxury ocean liner to him. It was his past, his present, and his future. Every day he would find the time to look and study the pictures and every time he would find something new. He had made it his mission to memorize and search the names of each and every face that appears on board the ship. He had made sure every single one of their families, were taken care of.

His corporation had hit over 2.3 billion galleons in the last few months alone that he could afford to help those whose loved ones perished on that fateful day in 1912. He had also donated to numerous museums around the world that catered to holding memorabilia of the Titanic.

One thing though, he never thought Hermione would agree on, was watching the 1997 James Cameron movie based off of what they had experienced in real life. If he would have watched that movie, never having been on the ship, then he would have thought it was just a love story with a tragic ending; but since he lived it, well, it made him appreciate the accuracy the director was trying to accomplish. The detail alone, of not only the interior of the liner but the parts he never witnessed, like the boiler room and death of people in their beds, blew his mind.

It was hard for both of them at first; seeing the ship come back to life and seeing what each one saw from the others perspective, almost made it impossible to finish. He saw what the ship looked like from the life boat Hermione was supposed to be in with Molly Brown, and Hermione witnessed what he went through when the ship snapped in half.

They both had to take breaks throughout the movie and Ginny and Harry even had to pour them both drinks to help them get the courage to keep watching.

He liked the movie however. It helped them both remember the pain and struggle they went through for each other. Now, he wouldn't have let Hermione jump back on the sinking ship if he could help it, but he knew the love story in the movie was not theirs. But he did appreciate it. What shocked him the most though, was the door the character Rose was laying on. It was the same exact door he practically died on and he had to get up and get some air before finishing the scene.

Draco continued to study the picture of the Titanic sitting in Berth 44 as every memory came back so vividly. He felt feather soft hands wrap around his torso as Hermione's head rested on his back. He instinctively turned around slowly and wrapped his arms around his wife.

"Happy Birthday Draco." Hermione smiled, while hugging him tight.

Draco smiled warmly and placed a tender kiss on top of her glowing brown hair.

"Thank you, little one."

"What are you doing in here when your party is outside?" she asked now resting her head on his chest.

"I just wanted to think." He replied through a sigh and rested his chin on top of her head.

"About what?" she asked sweetly.

"You…me, us…everything we have been through and how grateful I am to have you in my life."

Hermione smiled up at her husband after hugging him tighter and moving to look at the photos.

"We owe them so much." She claimed, leaning her head on his shoulder.

"We owe them everything…It's too bad they will never get to meet our children."

"I think they are watching over us…and they technically have already met Scorpius, but…" she trailed off and stepped forward.

Draco half-smiled and placed himself to the side of his beautiful wife. Kneeling down he touched her large pregnant stomach and felt his baby girl kick. They both let off a chuckle and he placed a soft gentle kiss upon her swollen belly.

"Dimitra Aquila Malfoy, it is my honor, to introduce you to your family…Past, meet present." he turned to the pictures on the wall as a tear began to form in his eye and smiled. "Present…meet past."

* * *

 **So I legit just cried writing the last line of this story. It is a very short chapter but still so enjoyable. Thank you all so much for your love and support through this story. If it wasn't for you guys…I probably would have given up a long time ago. You have made me so happy. To know that people out there enjoy my work and it will continue to be read by many; warms my heart so much. I love you guys I really do! I hope you will continue following me through this journey of Dramione Fanfiction as I take these characters to new and adventurous places. God I am really crying while writing this. I am sad to see this story end but it had to eventually. I can't wait to start another one but in the meantime. I need to take a moment to honor this story as a whole. It will always be my first and it will always be treasured. To mix my two favorite things ever, Harry Potter and Titanic, is simply amazing and I never thought I could do it. It wasn't until I realized that no one else would and if I wanted to read it I would have to write it. If you use the excuse, that you are not a writer or you feel like you can't do it…Don't, because you can. If I can do it, so can you! I love you guys. Enjoy this last chapter.**


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